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History of Hot Air Balloons – SkyWaltz

Do you want to know when the hot air balloon was invented and who built the first one?

The history of ballooning is enthralling. It features Benjamin Franklin, two French paper manufacturers, and two farm animals. The secret of aerial navigation was found near the end of the 18th century in 1782, after numerous repeated experiments over more than 20 centuries, when Stephen (Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier) and Joseph Montgolfier performed their ingenious aerostatic experiment. Fire smoke hung over Parisian roofs for hours before dissipating into clouds, providing inspiration for an innovation that changed our world forever!

The Montgolfier Brothers

Jacques and Joseph Montgolfier, French brothers, were the local paper producers in the Southern French town of Alchemy. When the brothers burned paper, they noticed that the ashes drifted up into the air. They believed that the heat and smoke from the flame had a peculiar lifting ability, so they devised a vessel capable of capturing the heat and smoke and lifting them off the ground. The Montgolfier Brothers of Annonay, France, launched the first large-scale balloon flight on June 4, 1973. On the 10th of July, a Paris newspaper said that numerous individuals had witnessed it. According to the narrative, the balloon was approximately 36 feet long, 16 feet high, and about as high, and upon landing about 7 – 8 minutes after departure, the globe was destroyed by peasant labourers who thought it was the moon falling from the sky.

The Very First Hot Air Balloon Ride

On September 12, 1783, the day set aside for the first balloon flight exhibition before members of the Royal Academy, a load weighing 400-500lbs ascended. Unfortunately, the balloon was damaged by a sudden gust of wind caused by severe winds. A new hot air balloon with the same dimensions was ordered. The new balloon, which had a wicker basket, was inflated in Versailles in the presence of King Louis XVI and the royal family. As the first hot air ballooning passengers, the French King suggested a sheep, a duck, and a rooster be placed in the basket. The balloon flew into the sky for eight minutes before landing safely When the Montgolfier brothers realised what they had accomplished, they approached King Louis XVI to see if he would inspect their creation, which now carried two people instead of farmyard animals. King Louis XVI concurred.

The First Human Flight

On November 21, 1783, a hot air balloon flight was launched for all to witness in Paris. Pilatre de Rozier and Francious Laurent, two close friends of the Montgolfier brothers, were on board. The balloon was successfully released and climbed around 500 feet / 150 metres over the rooftops of Paris, eventually landing a few miles distant in some vineyards after a trip lasting about 25 minutes. Benjamin Franklin was present at the launch and later that day met with the Montgolfier Brothers to sign a witness report that was presented to the Academy of Science.

First balloon flight in India

The invention of the hot-air balloon by the Montgolfier Brothers in December 1783 opened up a whole new world and cleared the way for human exploration of the sky. A man was finally able to accomplish his long-held ambition of flying like a bird. The balloons sparked the interest of scientists, adventurers, and acrobats alike. D. Robertson made the first balloon flight in India on March 16, 1836. He took off from a hamlet named Muchikhola in the Calcutta outskirts (now in Garden Reach). From Kashipur to Garden Reach, the event drew a large throng. People jostled for space on land and in Ganga Riverboats as they watched the event. The famed balloonist Percival Spencer then arrived in India in the late 1880s, delivering balloon displays all over the nation. His balloon lifted flight from the Calcutta Race Course on March 19, 1889 — a month later, he flew again, this time joined by Ramchandra Chatterjee.

India’s first-ever tiger reserve hot air balloon safari at Bandhavgarh

The Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is the first in India to offer tourists a Hot Air Balloon Safari. SkyWaltz Balloon Safaris‘ hot air balloon safari, which began in January 2021, takes off from the national park’s buffer zone and lands outside of it. The hot air balloon can carry up to nine passengers per voyage and is outfitted with all necessary safety equipment.

Locations of Ballooning in India

SkyWaltz Balloon Safari vouches to create a balloon adventure for you that will make the tour trip memorable with friends and family. We begin with the hot air balloon flights in India, every year from September onward till the first week of April. The rides usually last about an hour. You can ride with Skywaltz Balloon Safari in Rajasthan (Jaipur), Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Shillong, Mandu and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The rides usually last about an hour. Our team consists of world-class pilots from around the world and we operate on global standards and procedures. Skywaltz Balloon Safari is authorised by the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) to make this experience reach all adventure enthusiasts.