Beatrix de Rijk
Beatrix de Rijk was a pioneering Dutch aviator. On receiving her pilot's licence from the Aéro-Club de France on 6 October 1911, she became the first Dutch woman pilot.Biography
Born on 24 July 1883 in Surabaya in the Dutch East Indies, de Rijk was raised in a well-to-do and nobel family. She was able to take part in a variety of activities including riding, tennis, and driving. When she was about 20, she went to Paris where she chose a well-paid occupation working as a mannequin for a fashion house.
When she became interested in ballooning and flying, she settled in Bétheny near Reims where she took flying lessons at the Hanriot school. On 6 October 1911, she received Pilot Licence No. 652 from the Aero Club de France. She bought a Deperdussin 1910 monoplane and took part in flying demonstration in various countries.
