i n c o n s t r u c t i o n August 8 , 1709 first model hot air balloon built by Bartholomeu de GusmaoPortuguese Jesuit pater , Bartolomeu Laurenço de Gusmão ( 1685 - 1724 ) , is said to have demonstrated models of hot air balloons on August 8 th , 1709 in Lisbonne in front of an important gathering headed by the Portuguese King John V . June 5 , 1783 first public ascension of an unmanned paper balloon of brothers MontgolfiereAfter a series of experiments with little and big balloons the brothers Joseph ( 1740 - 1810 ) and Etienne ( 1745 - 1799 ) Montgolfiere decided to make a first public display of their invention . They built a balloon which was made of linen covered with paper and had a diameter of 35 feet ( 11 metres ) . The balloon named " Ad Astra " ascended from a square in the middle of the Annonay and stayed up - to the amazement of the onlookers - for about ten minutes . It climbed to 6 , 000 feet and travelled nearly 2 km before it landed . September 19 , 1783 first balloon ascension with passengersa new hot air balloon constructed by the Montgolfier brothers launched from the square in front of the Versailles Palace and landed after only 8 minutes in the Vaucresson forest , 3 . 2 km north of Versailles . The balloon named " Le Martial " was made of cotton and paper and had a diameter of 13 m . This balloon carried the first three passengers : a cock , a duck and a sheep which were placed in a cage under the balloon . King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette observed this flight . November 21 , 1783 first manned hot air balloon flightPilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d ' Arlandes launched from the grounds of the Chateau la Muette in the Bois de Boulogne near Paris at 1 : 54 pm in a Montgolfier balloon , a blue sphere decorated with the golden face of the sun god Apollo . The first manned flight lasted 20 minutes and covered about 5 miles ( about 9 km ) at an altitude of 330 feet ( 100 meters ) . The balloon landed at Butte - aux - Cailles which is close to present - day traffic centre Place d ' Italie . o t h e r s t a m p s November 25 , 1783 first flight of a small unmanned balloon in EnglandCount Francesco Zambeccari , together with fellow Italian Michael Biaggini , an artificial flower maker , succeeded in launching a model balloon from Biaggini ' s roof in London ' s Cheapside . December 1 , 1783 first manned gas balloon flightJacques A . C . Charles and Prof . Noel Robert launched a gas balloon from the Tuileries Gardens in Paris and touched down 27 miles ( 43 kilometers ) away ? near Nesles - la - Vallee ( after 2 , 5 hours ) o t h e r s t a m p s January 14 , 1784 first unmanned balloon ascension in Austriaa hot air balloon , built by Alois von Widmannstetter , a book printer from Graz , launched three times ca . 200 m high from a garden in Vienna . Many spectators observed the ascensionsJanuary 19 , 1784 first balloon flight of a BelgianBelgian Prince Charles de Ligne launched with his balloon in Lyon ( France ) January 22 , 1784 first unmanned balloon flight in Germanylaunch of an unmanned hot air balloon built by the german Benedictine monk , astronomer and physicist professor Ulrich Schiegg ( 1752 - 1810 ) February 25 , 1784 first balloon ascent in Italymade in Milano by Paolo Andreani and the Gerli brothers March 2 , 1784 first balloon flight of Jean Pierre Blanchardthe Frenchman Jean Pierre Blanchard ( 1753 - 1809 ) made his initial flight with self built balloon from the Marsfields in Paris a few weeks after the Montgolfier success . From that time on he traveled all over Europe giving demonstration flights . He was the first to make ascensions in Germany , Poland , the Netherlands , USA . Altogether he made 59 ascensions . June 24 , 1784 first ascension of tethered balloon in North AmericaInventor Peter Carnes built a tethered hot air balloon which ascended in Bladensburg . A 13 - year - old boy , Edward Warren from Baltimore , is said to have been sent aloft in this balloon that was to small to carry its designer . July 6 , 1784 first balloon flight in AustriaJohann Georg Stuwer ( 1732 - 1802 ) launched with his great balloon ( 1 , 120 kg ) from Prater in Vienna . Over 15 , 000 persons were present to see the launch . August 27 , 1784 first balloon ascent on British soilMr . Tytler ( a Scotchman ? ) launched with his hot air balloon ( without the furnace ) from Comely Garden , Edinburgh , and descended on the road to Restalrig , about half a mile from the place where he rose , to the great satisfaction of those spectators who were present . click for more info September 15 , 1784 first balloon flight in EnglandItalian balloonist Vincenzo Lunardi ( 1759 - 1806 , born in Lucca ) , Secretary to the Neapolitan Ambassador , flew in a hydrogen balloon from the area of the Honourable Artillery Company near Moorfields in London ( he took a cat , dog , pigeon and a bottle of wine with him ) and landed at North Mimms after his cat became cold ( after 1 hour 40 min and 20 km ) but than continued his flight to land at Long Mead Hertfordshire after flying 24 miles . click for more info October 4 , 1784 first balloon flight by an Englishmanthe " Father of English Ballooning ", James Sadler ( 1751 - 1828 ) , made his first ascent from Oxford , his home town , using a hot air balloon . 1785 second balloon flight of Lunardi in EnglandLunardi made twelve ascents in England up to September 19 , 1786 , and later made ascents in Italy , Spain , and Portugal . January 7 , 1785 first balloon crossing of the English ChannelJean - Pierre Blanchard ( 1753 - 1809 ) und Dr . John Jeffries ( USA ) launched in England und landed in France after 2 , 5 hours ( first air mail was flown ) o t h e r s t a m p s January 19 , 1785 first manned balloon flight in IrelandIrishman Richard Crosbie ( 1755 - 1800 , born in Wicklow ) launched at 2 : 30 p . m . from an exhibition area at Rangelagh Gardens in Dublin his " Grand Air Balloon and Flying Barge " in which he intended to cross the Irish Sea . The balloon was beautifully ornamented with paintings of Minerva and Mercury supporting the Arms of Ireland and emblematic figures of the winds . More than 35 , 000 people had gathered here to view the historical ascent . Due to early darkness Crosbie decided to break his attempt to cross the Irish Sea and he landed at Clontarf . Before this flight Crosbie experimented with various balloons and released several carrying various animals as passengers . Later he made some further attemps to cross Irish Sea but without success . June 15 , 1785 first balloon accidentPilâtre de Rozier ( 1756 - 1785 ) built a new balloon type as combination of both known types ( gas and hot air balloons ) . The result was first called a Charlo - Montgolfière , but later Rozière . The hydrogen envelope was located above a cylindrical hot air balloon . He wanted to cross the English Channel in this balloon . During six months de Rozier and his assistant Pierre Jules Romain waited at Boulogne - sur - Mer ( France ) for suitable weather to cross the Channel . Early in the morning of June 15 , 1785 , they finally launched , but the balloon drifted towards the sea . Suddenly the wind was turning , they came back over land , and then it happened - a mere 30 minutes after take - off . It came to a fire in the upper part of the balloon , and it crashed on the ground . This attempt claimed the first two lives in the history of aviation . October 3 , 1785 first manned balloon flight in GermanyJean - Pierre Blanchard ( 1753 - 1809 ) launched in Frankfurt / MainMay 14 , 1790 first balloon flight by a PoleThe Polish count Jan Potocki and his Turkish butler Abrahim flew with Jean - Pierre Blanchard ( 1753 - 1809 ) in his balloon from Warsaw . The first flight of Jean - Pierre Blanhard in Poland took place on Mai 10 th , 1789 . He flew from Warsaw to Bialoleka . August 12 , 1792 Lunardi ' s balloon launch in MadridItalian Vincenzo Lunardi launched in Madrid ( Spain ) January 9 , 1793 first manned balloon flight in North AmericaJean - Pierre Blanchard ( 1753 - 1809 ) ascended from the yard of the Old Walnut Street Prison in Philadelphia at 10 : 09 am and landed after 46 minutes in Gloucester County ( near Deptford ) , New Jersey . He flew 15 miles . George Washington was present to see the balloon launch and Blanchard carried a letter of passage from President Washington , which stated that all citizens of the United States receive and aid Blanchard with the humanity and good will , which would render honor to their country . n e x t p a r t © Markus Wydera - e - mail : mwydera @ 01019 freenet . de