While the concept of hot air ballooning goes back thousands of years, physically putting a hot air balloon into the air didn’t happen until the late 1700’s… 1783 to be exact. The Montgolfier Brothers (Jacques-Étienne and Joseph-Michel) initially sent a sheep, a chicken, and a duck up into the air successfully. Following their initial flight triumph, they decided to send up two men up for about 20 minutes! The selected men were Pilatre de Rozier & Marquis François d’Arlandes, who were not condemned criminals as King Louis XVI had originally wanted. In fact, Pilatre de Rozier, known as the world’s first balloonist, had to petition the King to be on the first manned hot air balloon flight.

After manned hot air balloon flights were made successful, next in the evolution of balloons came the first manned hydrogen balloon flight by Jacques Charles with Nicolas-Louis Robert on December 1, 1783, making it up to 3,000 meters high!

Flying across the English Channel was the next significant milestone in ballooning, a feat Jean-Pierre Blanchard accomplished on January 7, 1785.

The first manned balloon flight in America was on January 10, 1793 by Jean-Pierre Blanchard using a hydrogen filled balloon. President George Washington was in attendance as the balloon took off.

Throughout the 19th & 20th centuries, balloons served in the military and were utilized for scientific research purposes throughout the world.

With the arrival of the airship (also known as a blimp or dirigible), the hot air balloon lost its place in air flight, as the dirigible was actually maneuverable and able to carry more people.

Then, in the 1950’s, modern hot air ballooning was born as the Navy commissioned Ed Yost to see how hot air balloons could be used in the military and for scientific applications. They eventually abandoned the project, but Ed Yost envisioned the possibility of civilian uses for hot air balloons.

On October 22, 1960 Paul E. (Ed) Yost piloted the maiden flight of a new type of hot balloon and the modern era of hot air ballooning was born!

Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.

A 1818 technical illustration shows early balloon designs.

Montgolfier brothers flight by Unknown – Bildarchiv Preussuscher Kulturbesitz, Berlin

Some Numbers About Ballooning

433 – Hot Air Balloons Set a New World Record for Simultaneous Flight in France!
1783 – First Manned Free Hot Air Balloon, The Montgolfier Brothers on November 21, 1783
1960 – The modern Era of Hot Air Ballooning begin! Thanks to Ed Yost.
5538 – World Record for the Height a Hot Air Balloons has Flown. Over 21,000 Metres! (68,900 Feet)

4 PRINCIPLES OF HOT AIR BALLOONING

  • Hot Air Is Lighter Than Cool Air. Hot Air Rises.
  • A Cubic Ft Of Air Weighs 28 Grams (1 Ounce).
  • A Cubic Ft Of Hot Air (Heighten By 100 Degrees) Weighs 7 Grams.
  • 65,000 Cubic Ft Of Hot Air Can Lift 1000Lbs.