Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier born in Annonay, France, invented the first practical hot-air balloon. They demons-trated it publically on 4 June, 1783, at Annonay marketplace. They prepared a large spherical bag and filled it with heated air by burning wool and straw under the basket hung underneath the bag. The bag rose about 3,000 feet into the air, which remained there for approximately 10 minutes, and then came back to the ground about 1.5 mile away from where it rose. After this successful balloon flight, they made a larger balloon that was about 70-foot high. They launched it on 21 November, 1783, in Paris. This time, the balloon was not alone; it carried two men, Marquis d’Artandes and Jean Francois Piltre de Rozier along with it. They were lifted about 3,000 feet and experienced 25 minutes’ flight and travelled about five miles. They managed to control their own flight by putting straw to the fire.
Hot-air Balloon
