The History of the Hot-Air Balloon

When most people think of the beginning of flight,So far, all demonstrations had been unmanned.
they think of the Wright brothers. But anotherBut the inventors were eager to see whether
pair of brothers preceded them by more than aliving beings could withstand such a flight. At the
hundred years. The Montgolfier brothers, whotime, nobody knew how the upper atmosphere
lived in Paris during the 1700's, were the first towould affect living creatures. The king suggested
successfully take to the skies. Their craft was theusing criminals in an experiment, but the inventors
hot air balloon.ultimately chose to use animals for the first
Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier were bothattempt.
sons of a successful paper manufacturer, PierreIn September of 1783, the Montgolfier brothers
Montgolfier. Joseph was a dreamer and inventor.launched a balloon with a basket attached. The
Étienne was practical, with a talent forbasket contained a sheep, a duck, and a rooster.
business. As was the custom at the time,Within eight minutes, the balloon rose to a height
however, their father arranged to leave hisof over 450 metres and traveled more than 3
factory to the oldest son, Raymond. Both Josephkilometers. The extra weight made it unstable,
and Étienne were sent away to learn otherhowever; it tipped crazily and eventually crashed.
crafts.All of the animals escaped unscathed.
Shortly after taking control of the factory,Experiments with human passengers began later
however, Raymond died unexpectedly.that year. At first, the balloons were tethered to
Étienne was called back to take over thethe ground. The first untethered flight was made
family business. He became very successful,in November. The two passengers were a young
incorporating the latest cutting-edge technology todoctor and an army officer, both of whom had
his paper mill and winning government grants andvolunteered. Their flight lasted about 25 minutes,
recognition for his achievements.reached a height of 100 metres, and covered
Joseph, however, continued to dream. Accordingabout 9 kilometres. They could have gone longer,
to popular myth, he conceived of the idea for abut the fire keeping the balloon aloft had started
hot air balloon while idly watching some laundryto scorch the cloth. The two aviators had to
dry over a fire. He noticed that billowing pocketsapply wet sponges to the cloth while aloft to
of air were forming in the cloth as it warmed. Askeep it from incinerating, and they landed as soon
he noticed this, he thought about the fortress ofas they came to an open field.
Gibraltar, which had never been taken by land orDuring the time the Montgolfiers were developing
sea. He started to consider whether it could betheir hot air balloon, they were under pressure
taken by air, with troops carried high over itsfrom competing inventors using hydrogen.
walls in craft powered by the same force thatHydrogen gas was discovered in 1768, and
was causing the cloth to billow.hydrogen balloons were being developed at the
Soon after, Joseph started his first experimentsame time. Eventually, hydrogen balloons became
with flight. He built a box-like frame of lightweightthe dominant flight technology, and hot air balloons
wood, about a metre long on all sides, andwere relegated to novelty status.
covered it with delicate taffeta. He then lit a pieceThe modern hot air balloon is a fairly recent
of paper on fire beneath this impromptu balloon.development. In 1960, inventor and engineer Ed
To Joseph's surprise, it shot up and crashed intoYost revived the Montgolfiers' old design, updating
the ceiling. He immediately wrote a letter askingit with plastic lining and a kerosene burner. Yost
his brother Étienne to come with a largewas an engineer involved in the development of
supply of taffeta and rope.high-altitude weather balloons. He attempted
Together, the brothers built a larger balloon-thisseveral record-breaking feats in his modern hot
one about three metres by three. This one was aair balloon, including a successful crossing of the
bit too successful. In its first test flight, inEnglish Channel and an unsuccessful attempt to
December of 1782, it shot so quickly into the aircross the Atlantic. Even though his Atlantic
that the brothers lost control. It floated over twoattempt failed, it set several records for flight
kilometers before crash-landing in a field.time and distance covered. Later, another pilot
After a few more experiments, the brotherssuccessfully crossed the Atlantic using Yost's
decided to give a public demonstration to establishballoon design.
their claim on their invention. In June 1783, theyToday's hot air balloons use propane burners and
sent up an unmanned balloon in front of a crowdrip-stop nylon, and they've never been safer to
of French dignitaries. It rose to an estimatedride. The next time you're floating above the
height of 2,000 metres, and news of theirearth in a hot air balloon, remember: you're seeing
invention quickly spread throughout France. Thethe world as the first inventors of flight saw it,
inventors made several more demonstrations inover two hundred years ago.
Paris.