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