Ballooning History Timeline

The North Carolina auto license tag proudly proclaims "First in Flight" because of the historic flight of the Wright Brothers in 1903. Yes, it was the first airplane flight. However, the first flight actually occurred 120 years earlier in France! Of course, that was a flight of a hot-air balloon. Let's follow the history of ballooning in the timeline below!

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1709

• A Brazilian priest, Bartolemeu de Gusmao, demonstrated a model hot-air balloon to Johan V of Portugal. No records exists to suggest that any passenger carrying balloon was then built.

1776

• Henry Cavendish discovers hydrogen, which was found to be seven times lighter than air. In these early days, hydrogen was made by mixing sulfuric acid and iron. The race to fly was on.

1783

• June - The Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and Ettienne J. began experimenting with small-scaled hot-air balloons built out of paper or light fabric.
• 27 August - Jaçques A. C. Charles launched an unmanned hydrogen balloon, The Globe, which travelled 15 miles (24 km) and reached an altitude of 3000 feet (915m). At the landing in Gonesse, the local peasants were so frightened that they attacked the balloon with pitchforks and scythes, thus destroying it.
• 19 September - The Montgolfier brothers launched an unmanned hot-air balloon from Versailles. Louis XVI had decreed that the first flight should be flown with animals. A duck, a sheep, and a rooster became the first air travellers. If it wasn't this flight, then it was had to be another one within the following 2 months.
• 21 November - For the first time in recorded human history, we leave the confines of the Earth's surface and take flight among the birds. Over 400,000 Parisians, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, witnessed as the Marquis François d'Arlendes and Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier flew in the very first flight in a Mongolfier built hot-air balloon. This flight lasted 25 minutes and covered 7 miles (11 km).
• 1 December - Just 10 days after the Montgolfier flight, J.A.C. Charles piloted the first gas balloon flight. Also launched in Paris, this flight lasted 2 1/2 hours and covered a distance of 27 miles (43 km). The first recorded change out of a passenger occured on this flight when Charles landed and dropped off his passenger Professor Robert, then took off again. Charles then flew to height of 9000 ft (2750 m).

1784

• 19 January - Joseph Montgolfier made his only recorded flight in Le Fleusselles. This balloon is believed to have had a passenger carrying capacity of more than 30 and the envelope must have been over 700,000 cf (20,000 cubic meters)! This was the largest hot-air balloon ever built until very recently! The flight originated in Lyon, France.
• 15 September - Vincenzo Lunardi, a minor Italian diploment, piloted the first balloon flight outside of France. A crowd of 100,000, including the Prince of Wales, watched as Lunardi launched his 18,200cf (515 cubic meters) hydrogen balloon from Moorfields, England. He ultimately touched down near Ware.
• 30 November - Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries make their first flight. This flight was from Rhedarium Garden, London to the banks of the Thames.

1785

• 7 January - Blanchard and Jeffries make the first crossing of the English Channel by balloon. This flight included the very first airmail letter!
• July - Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier attempted an English Channel crossing in a hybrid gas/hot-air balloon. This flight ended in disaster as a fire caused the hydrogen to explode. de Rozier and his passenger Romain were killed. This was the first avaition accident.
• ??? - Jean-Pierre Blanchard became the first skydiver as he parachuted out of a gas balloon. The exact date for this stunt is unknown.

1793

• 9 January - After moving to America, Jean-Pierre Blanchard piloted the first known balloon flight in North America in Phildadelphia, PA. George Washington witnessed this flight,

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