‘Hot Air Balloon’, three words that spur the idea of adventure and thrill, made a great launch in the history of air travel in year 1783. On 19th September of the year, a scientist named Pilatre De Rozier gave way to the first ever balloon ride that was boarded by a Sheep, a duck and a rooster. This intriguing flight lasted in air for around 15 minutes before crashing, and after this there was no looking back. After 2 months the Montgolfier brothers from France took off on the first manned flight that flew for about 20 minutes after being launched from the centre of Paris, and that was the birth of an adventure called hot air ballooning.
The history was again written in Golden words when Jean Pierre Blanchard, a French balloonist flew over the English Channel in the year 1785. This first attempt to long distance hot air ballooning marked a big print on the Ballooning account. Again in 1793, the balloonist flew the first balloon flights in North America in the honored presence of the then president of America, George Washington.
Since then, air ballooning ride has been at the hearts of millions, who wish to drift above the world in no hurry, and savor the beauty of the world down under. Flights are not only popular amongst balloonists or scientist, but they are also famous with travelers and the adventurous souls who have the desire to take a bird’s eye view of the natural and the man made marvels. After Jean Pierre Blanchard, many scientists and balloonist made and broke records in ballooning that defied all bounds in manned aerial flights. In 1932, Auguste Piccard, a Swiss Scientist set a new altitude record by taking his manned flight to the Stratosphere, reaching a height of 52,498 feet, following which many new altitude records were registered.
The two Major breakthroughs in ballooning history were The Atlantic Challenge and The Pacific Challenge, where both these water expanses were breached by some gallant ballooners. The Double Eagle II became the first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean. This helium filled model carried 3 passengers and flew for 137 hours over the ocean. Three years later, in 1981 the Double Eagle V was launched from Japan, and it landed 84 hours later in California’s Mendocino National Forest. All the records were infringed when in 1999 Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones completed first ever ‘around the world’ hot air balloon flight.
Starting with an open flame balloon and moving on to gas and helium balloons, air balloons have been through many stages of their being, and they have climbed up the ladders of popularity and admiration in the hearts of many adventure lovers. Air balloon flights have made their presence all over the world, including countries like India, Australia, etc, where many professional ballooning companies have their expert pilots taking many onboard passengers to a wonderful and enchanting experience. So, those in love with the fascinating idea of flying above the world must take a adventure balloon ride.