After early work with both hot air and gas-filled balloons, the milestones in ballooning added up quickly. On July seventh 1785, Jean-Pierre Blanchard flew across the English Channel. Then, in January of 1793, Blanchard made the first manned flight of a balloon in America. His hydrogen-filled balloon left from a prison yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and reached a height of almost six thousand fee before landing in Gloucester County, New Jersey. At this flight, President George Washington was among the guests watching the takeoff.
Steerable balloons – or dirigibles – appeared on the aviation scene in 1852. However, because they were powered by heavy steam engines, these early blimps were too slow to be practical as a means of conveyance. This would change in 1872 when Paul Haenlein would fly the first combustion engine powered and hydrogen filled balloon. From then until the Hindenburg disaster, blimps would be a means of conveyance popular in Europe and North America.
These days, ballooning has reached new heights in popularity as a spectator endeavor, past time, and sport. Every year, thousands of pilots all around the world participate in mass ascensions, races, grabs, and festivals for the amusement of millions. Ballooning is an amazing activity that the entire family can enjoy. Perhaps your next holiday should include an adventure to one of the hundreds of festivals held every year around the globe.
Posted in the Balloon World Blog
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