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