Since it was Frenchmen who invented the hot air balloon, it's fitting the French were first to use it in war. 

Who Invented the Hot Air Balloon?

Who Invented the Hot Air Balloon?

by: www.AerogelicBallooning.com

Who invented the hot air balloon and why? In this post, we're delving into the fascinating history behind hot air balloons. Buckle up!

Hot air balloons rides have long been a whimsical way to enjoy an afternoon.
Taking a hot air balloon ride can be exciting, fun, even romantic. But have you ever thought about where hot air balloons come from? They're so much more than just a recreational activity.
Who invented the hot air balloon, and why? In this post, we're delving into the fascinating history behind hot air balloons. Buckle up!

Who invented the hot air balloon?

The Montgolfier brothers got the idea for the hot air balloon during an evening sitting by the fireplace.
It was 1782, and Joseph Montgolfier looked into the fire. He wondered aloud to his brother, Etienne, "What force made the smoke and sparks rise?"
Joseph made a small bag out of silk. He held the open end over the fireplace, and the bag inflated and floated in the air. What they had discovered was isolated hydrogen.
Hydrogen is the lightest of all gases. It's even lighter than air. That allows it to lift certain objects off the ground, like the silk bag.
After this discovery, the brothers were inspired to use this knowledge to invent a balloon that could fly on its own.

The first launch of the hot air balloon 

The brothers designed a larger, circular version of the silk bag. They attached a big, yet light-weight basket to the bottom, creating the first version of the hot air balloon.
In 1783, they launched this balloon off the steps of Versailles for Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. A rooster, a duck, and a sheep were loaded into the basket.
The balloon floated 1,500 hundred feet in the air. After 8 minutes, a rope tied to the basket pulled the balloon and the animals safely back to Earth.
Now it was time to launch the first human into the sky!

October 1783 marked the first flight of a human

The simple answer to who invented the hot air balloon is the Montgolfier brothers. However, scientist Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier, had a big hand in helping.
De Rozier assisted in the first launch of the farm animals. He volunteered to go up himself a few months later. Tethered to a rope, De Rozier and the balloon floated in the sky for 15 minutes.
A month later, De Rozier safely flew in a hot air balloon for 20 minutes without the rope. Two years later, he was finally ready to take a more ambitious trip.
In 1785, De Rozier and a partner set out to cross the English Channel in their hot air balloon. Unfortunately, 20 minutes after takeoff, the balloon exploded. Both men were killed.
Later that year, John Jeffries and Jean-Pierre Blanchard successfully crossed the English Channel.

After these flights, technology for balloons quickly improved

Word spread around the world about the incredible hot air balloon. Scientists and engineers worked fast to improve the design.
Thanks to this hot air balloon craze, the helium filled party balloon was also invented around this time.
In 1793, the first flight of a hot air balloon in America was accomplished by Jean-Pierre Blanchard. Blanchard flew from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.
Hot air balloons had finally made it to the US. They would end up being a helpful tool for the army during several wars.

Hot air balloons had been used in war since 1794

It was 1794 during the French Revolution. A tethered hot air balloon was flown into the air. From this view, the man in the balloon could watch the Austrian troops. They used the information he gathered to fight them. The French won this battle.
This use of a hot air balloon resembles how the military today uses drones.
America didn't use hot air balloons for war purposes until The Civil War. Scientist and inventor Thaddeus Lowe convinced Abraham Lincoln to start The Balloon Corp.
Lowe was named the Chief Aeronaut of The Balloon Corp in 1861. Seven balloons were used to spy on the Confederate Army. Eventually, the Confederates tried to create their own balloons.
Hot air balloons were later used in World War I & II.
Steadily from here on, hot air balloon designs became more sophisticated.

In 1932, a balloon made it to the stratosphere

A Swiss scientist, August Piccard, designed a new balloon. Instead of riding in a basket, this balloon had a pressurized aluminum ball. Piccard, along with his friend Max Cosyns, took a ride in Piccard's invention. They flew into the stratosphere, flying over 52,000 in the air.
Piccard and Cosyns set the record for the highest balloon flight. However, other scientists quickly broke their records. New records were being set on a regular basis.
It wasn't until 1935 that someone sets an altitude record that was hard to beat.
Captain Albert Stevens and Orvil Anderson set the record. They flew their helium gas balloon, Explorer II, 13.7 miles into the sky. They held on to their record for 20 years.
This was a big milestone. Experts say this flight later paved the way for space travel.
This record was broken in 1955. However, another interesting altitude record was set in 1960.

Captain Joe Kittinger sets an altitude and parachuting record

Air Force Captain Joe Kittinger flew his hot air balloon 19.4 miles into the stratosphere. In a pressurized suit, Kittinger parachuted to Earth.
His hot air balloon record was broken a year later. However, his parachuting record still stands.
Captain Kittinger's parachute jump brought the history of ballooning full circle. In the 1790's, Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier modernized the design of the parachute.
During one of the first manned balloon rides ever, he used a silk parachute to jump from a falling balloon.
The technology of De Rozier and the Montgolfier brothers has certainly come a long way!

Did you learn anything about the history of hot air balloons?

Hot air balloons are often looked at as just a leisure activity.
But it's nice to know who invented the hot air balloon, as well as its interesting history!

Now as expert of hot air balloon rides come fly with us in Phoenix, Arizona! www.AerogelicBallooning.com or 1-866-Fly-Tday (1-866-359-8329)