The first flight by a hot-air balloon took place in France, on 4 June 1783. This hot-air balloon was constructed by two paper manufacturers, Joseph de Montgolfier (1740-1810) and Etienne de Montgolfier (1745-1799).

The two brothers made the first hot-air balloon, the Montgolfiere, of pack-cloth covered with paper. It carried a portable stove in which wool and straw were burnt to produce hot air. The Montgolfiere reached an altitude of 1000m and landed after 10 minutes.

The Montgolfier brothers repeated this experiment on 19 September 1783 in Paris in front of Louis XVI. This time the hot-air balloon carried a sheep, a duck and a cock in a suspended cage, making those three animals the very first air passengers.

This sensational flight was also witnessed by Benjamin Franklin, then United States’ ambassador to France.

© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)