How to Become A Hot Air Balloon Pilot While the idea of sailing thousands of feet in the air in a whimsical balloon sounds like a dream come true, only the bravest and most passionate are cut out to learn how to fly a hot air balloon. Not only is hot air balloon pilot training…
Are Hot Air Balloons Safe? Hot air ballooning is one of the world’s most unconventional sporting activities and fantastic recreational experiences for travelers. As excited as you may feel to float higher and higher until you can touch the sky and take in extraordinary views, it’s normal to feel a bit nervous, too. If you’re…
How Does A Hot Air Balloon Work? Hot air balloons aren’t just a whimsical trope from fantasy movies. When most people find out that hot air balloons are available to the public for tours, one of the first questions they ask is this: how does a hot air balloon work? Let’s dive into some fundamental…
September 19th 1783 : The first flight of a gas balloon – Paris, France – the first passengers being a duck, a sheep and a cockerel January 19th 1784 : The only recorded flight by Joseph Montgolfier in one of the largest balloons ever made at Lyon, France. The balloon is believed to have had a passenger…
It was the two brothers, Joseph and Ettiene Montgolfier, who first successfully demonstrated the flight of the balloon. One of the first recorded flights was on September 19th, 1783, in the court of the Château de Versailles, with Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette and 120,000 Parisians witnessing the historic flight. The balloon had a wicker basket…