Wednesday, May 13, marked 139 years since the birth of Elena Caragiani-Stoenescu, the first Romanian woman to obtain an aeroplane pilot’s licence. She was also a modern explorer and the first journalist to report from an aircraft.
She was born in Tecuci into the family of a well-known Aromanian physician. In 1913, she became one of the first women to graduate from the Faculty of Law.
Passionate about horse riding, Elena took her first flight one year before completing her law degree, flying alongside her brother-in-law, aviator Mircea Zorileanu. From that moment, she remained deeply devoted to aviation.
Romania’s first female pilot
She attended the Pilot School of the Air League at Băneasa, but the authorities responsible for granting pilot licences systematically refused to certify her simply because she was a woman. Elena was forced to enrol at the Civil Aviation School in Mourmelon-le-Grand, France, where she resumed both theoretical and practical flight training.
The International Aeronautical Federation issued her pilot licence no. 1591 on 22 January 1914, making Elena Caragiani the first Romanian woman licensed to fly an aeroplane. She was also among the first ten female pilots in the world.
Nurse during the War of Romanian Unification
During the First World War, she returned to Romania, hoping that circumstances had changed and that she could serve as a military pilot. However, the rules remained the same, and the Romanian authorities again refused to allow her to fly.
Although her internationally recognised pilot’s licence was accompanied by excellent recommendations, she was not offered any role in aviation, not even an organisational or administrative position. In response to her requests, she was told that she held a law degree and should seek employment accordingly.
Still wishing to help, Elena Caragiani volunteered in medical services, caring for wounded soldiers first in Bucharest and later, after the Romanian Army and Government retreated to Iași, organising together with her sister a medical aid station in the family home in Tecuci.
An international explorer
Elena Caragiani was highly regarded by the American press, which devoted considerable attention to her. In France, she worked as a reporter for a major daily newspaper. For long-distance travel, she used the aeroplane.
It was during this period that she produced her numerous “reports from the aeroplane”, considered the first of their kind in the international press.
She travelled extensively, reaching North Africa, the Near East, Asia Minor and Central America. She hunted tigers and elephants in the jungle and took part in whale hunts, handling the harpoon herself. In short, she lived life at full speed, burning like a flame until complete exhaustion.
She eventually returned to Romania, gravely ill with tuberculosis, and reposed at the age of only 41. She was buried at Bellu Cemetery.
Photo: Facebook / Atlasul
Sources: Enciclopedia României; Muzeul Virtual; Unibuc.ro; Urban.ro
