Who was the first woman to pilot an airplane?

The first female to pilot an airplane was Therese Peltier, a French woman, around Sept. 21, 1908. On July 8, 1908 she accompanied pilot Leon Delagrance on a flight in Milan, Italy; this flight inspired her to learn more about flying.

Peltier, an accomplished sculptor, flew a few more times in a Voisin biplane, but decided not to make it a career choice. Her flight with Delagrance took place at Military Square at Turin. It lasted two minutes and took seven feet into the air. She followed this flight by taking lessons from him over that summer in a series of sessions where she observed him flying.