Montgolfier Brothers' Invention of the First Balloon
From OnAirpower.org
The Montgolfier Brothers' Invention of the First Balloon
Reportedly, Joseph was inspired (at least in part) to invent the balloon in 1782 by the Great Siege of Gibralter that was being conducted by the French and Spanish at the time. "I possess a super-human means of introducing our soldiers into this impregnable fortress," he is said to have cried in a moment of enthusiasm[1].
The Montgolfiers made the first public demonstration flight of their balloon in front of a crowd of onlookers in Annonay, France, on June 4, 1783. The balloon was 105 feet in circumference, with a capacity of 23,000 cubic feet[2].
 First Unmanned Flight, June 4, 1783 |
 First Manned Test Flight, October 15, 1783 |
 Second Manned Test Flight, October 17, 1783 |
 First Manned Flight, Nov. 21, 1783 |
[edit] Timeline
- December 14, 1782 Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier make the first successful test launch of their experimental hot air balloon, without payload or passengers[3].
- June 4, 1783 The Montgolfier Brothers make the first public demonstration flight of their hot air balloon at Annonay, France. The flight covered 2 km, lasted 10 minutes, and reached an estimated altitude of between five and six thousand feet[3].
- September 19, 1783 The Montgolfier Brothers make their first balloon launch with living beings--a sheep, a duck, and a rooster--as passengers, at the royal palace in Versaillies[3].
- November 21, 1783 The Montgolfier Brothers' balloon makes its first free flight with human passengers, crewed by physician Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and army officer François Laurent Marquis d'Arlandes[3].
