A Brief History of the Hot Air Balloon
France, 1783. That’s where it all began — although there are several accounts suggesting that the first balloons may have taken to the skies even earlier (including some with Polish origins). Officially, however, France is considered the pioneer of aviation, and the balloon is recognised as the first aircraft in history — making its maiden ascent with animals on board: a sheep, a rooster, and a duck.
Shortly after, on November 21, 1783, Jean François Pilâtre de Rozier, together with François Laurent d’Arlandes, completed the first free flight in history in a hot air balloon.
Ballooning in Poland
Ballooning developed very quickly in Poland. Almost from the very beginning — right after the first free balloon flight — Poles began their own work in this field, and on May 10, 1789, the first hot air balloon in Poland took off from the Foksal Gardens in Warsaw. The flight was carried out by Jean-Pierre Blanchard, in the presence of King Stanisław August Poniatowski himself.
Since then, ballooning in Poland has been developing dynamically. Polish pilots have made their mark as winners of the most prestigious competition — the Gordon Bennett Cup. Today, Polish pilots rank among the best in competitive ballooning, while commercial balloon aviation is experiencing a real boom.
We invite you to visit our blog — you’ll find plenty of fascinating stories there, including insights into the history of ballooning (for example, about the Polish Balloon Corps during the Second Polish Republic). Enjoy reading!
