Did you know that the first hot air balloon was piloted
by a sheep, a duck and a chicken? Imagine the squawks (and
the stench) during this first balloon flight in 1783. Not
only was it filled with barn animals, but it was powered by
burning manure, straw and other items in a fire pit. Though
this flight sounds like something out of the movies, it was
noteworthy on two levels: First, it was the first successful
flight of a hot air balloon and second, it proved to King
Louis XVI that the atmosphere at higher elevations was
breathable for human beings. Hot air ballooning has come a
long way since this early flight, but the history is
remarkable.
The Original Hot Air Balloon
The first hot air balloon invented may have been piloted by
farm animals but it took the brainpower of inventors to
design. Credit is due to two French brothers, Joseph and
Etienne Montgolfier, who worked in the family’s paper
business. They observed how ash rose in fires, and while
experimenting with hot air and paper vessels, they designed
a model of the first hot air balloon. Eventually, their
designs led up to the creating of a paper and silk balloon.
Unfortunately, unmanned flights and flights with animals
only lasted a few minutes in the air, but within about two
months the first official manned flight set sail. Instead of
farm animals or criminals (as suggested by the king), this
Mongolfier-designed balloon carried two men: Jean-Francois
Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis Francois d’Arlanders. These
men flew for about 20 minutes on a circular platform that
was attached below the balloon. They directed the flames
through openings on each side of the balloon and reached an
altitude of 500 feet. This historic launch took place on
November 21, 1783 in Paris, France, and ballooning was born.
The race to perfection was on and within 10 days, the first
gas balloon was launched. In the years that ensued, gas
balloons became the preferred choice for air travel until
airplanes and a series of hydrogen disasters involving
airships and balloons eventually sealed their fate.
The First Modern Hot Air Balloon
Hot air balloons today aren’t much different from the early
Montgolfier balloons. On October 22, 1960, the father of
modern hot air ballooning, Paul E. Yost, flew a balloon
featuring a new propane burner system and a new “envelope,”
which is the name for the balloon itself. This new design
was 40 feet in diameter with a volume of 30,000 cubic feet.
Once again, ballooning became popular. By 1963, the sport
had grown large enough that the first U.S. National Hot Air
Balloon Championship took place. The events were
inconsistent at first, but eventually took hold. Today, hot
air ballooning remains popular around the globe with pilots
maneuvering airships much like the first hot air balloon but
with modern technology.
Man has always wanted to fly and went to great lengths to
get airborne. Two French brothers had a vision and found a
way to make it happen. Their early efforts sent man to the
skies successfully for the very first time. The first hot
air balloon made history and opened our minds—and the
skies—to new travel ideas.
How to Make a Hot
Air Balloon
Hot Air Balloon Crafts
Hot Air Balloon
Accidents
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