A Brief History of Balloon Riding

Last year, I talked about the romantic idea of balloon riding and picked my favourite hot air balloon ride movie moments. Having experienced my own balloon ride recently, I now return to you with a growing obsession for the ballooned miracle of fire and air that continues to inspire me. I have begun to delve deeper into the story behind them and wanted to bring you my findings with a brief history on hot air balloons.

The First Recorded Flight

The very first flight is in dispute with some documented use of lighter than air technology by the Chinese. They invented small unmanned hot air balloons, known as Kongming Lanterns or sky lanterns, which were developed around the 3rd century. They are said to have been used as military signalling before they became traditions as part of Chinese festivals. The Nazca Indians of Peru are also thought to have used hot air balloons as a drawing aid in 700 B.C. to 200 A.D. And in 1667, an 18th century issue of a Mexican newspaper reported that a man had broken his leg having crashed in a strange ‘device with fire’.

There are also claims that a Portuguese priest, Batholomeu Laurenco de Gasmao, produced a small working balloon on the 3rd August 1709. His achievement led to him being awarded a title from King John V of Portugal, as a Professor of Mathemetrics. In Russia there are also reports of primitive balloon being launched by a young military officer in 1731. Kria Kutnoi is said to have launched the balloon 120 miles south of Moscow.

Farm Animals Take to the Skies

The most favourably documented first flight of a hot air balloon was in France in 1783. It began on the 19th September 1783, when French brothers and paper manufacturers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier launched a hot air balloon with a sheep, a rooster and a duck on board. The launch of the balloon famously named Aerostat Reveillon, was said to have been witnessed by Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI and a crowd of 130,000. The hot air balloon flew almost 2 miles in eight minutes and landed safely. A big relief for the first time farm animal passengers who safely trotted and waddled off, blissfully unaware of the huge part they had played in this scientific breakthrough.

The Birth of Hot Air Balloon Rides

This gave the Montgolfier brothers the confidence to launch the first manned flight shortly after on October 15th aptly flown from the romantic centre of Paris.

They enlisted the help of chemistry and physics teacher, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, who remained aboard the balloon for almost four minutes, making him the first official human passenger of a hot air balloon. Not long after that Pilâtre de Rozier was accompanied by French military officer, Marquis d'Arlandes on a journey from the centre of Paris into the suburbs. The 25 minute flight travelled 5.5 miles.

"We observed it lift off in the most majestic manner. When it reached around 250 feet in altitude, the intrepid voyagers lowered their hats to salute the spectators. We could not help feeling a certain mixture of awe and admiration." Benjamin Franklin.

This moment officially marked the birth of hot air balloon rides.

The Spirit of Freedom

A giant step for ballooning was in 2002, when adventurer, Steve Fossett successfully became the first balloonist to travel round the world alone in a hot air balloon on his 6th attempt at the journey. The balloon, named The Spirit of Freedom used a combination of hot air and helium, known in the industry as a 'Roziere' balloon.

The feat was achieved with an autopilot system ‘Comstock Autopilot’ that keeps the balloon at a constant altitude with the use of computer controlled burners. Fossett lived in restrictive conditions at cold temperatures and managed about 4 hours of sleep a day in 45 minute stints. He was the first person in the world to complete a circumnavigation of the globe in a hot air balloon, which he managed in just under 15 days. Pretty impressive!

What Are You Waiting For?

If you have got this far and are still contemplating whether to go on your own hot air balloon adventure, then what are you waiting for? Find a reputable and experienced company that offer balloon rides and get your euphoric fix. I know I will be booking my next balloon ride very soon.

I would love to hear about your balloon ride experiences, please tweet me #BalloonRides @EdwardPhelan1.