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Early
Flights
The Montgolfiers Brothers, Joseph and Etienne,
imagined a flying balloon after discovering that, since
hot air is lighter than cold air, the volume could rise
in the air. The first ever balloon, as big as a tractor's
wheel, took off in November 1782. It was
the birth of a new field: the "aerostation" (technique
of construction or manipulation of aerostats). Proud of
their successful experiment, they built bigger and bigger
balloons. On June 4th 1782, the first official flight took
place in front of an audience.
The Montgolfier Brothers went to Paris to show their discovery
to the King. On September 19th of the same year, this time
in Versailles, Louis the XVI witnessed the lift-off of the
"Reveillon" balloon. A duck was placed in the
nacelle, along with a rooster and a sheep! A success: the
animals, the first to fly without wings, come back to earth
alive.
Pilatre de Rosier was the first man ever
to fly. He flew over Paris, from the Muette to the Butte-aux-cailles,
for about 30 minutes. November 21, 1783 will be remembered
as a red-letter day in the History of human flight.
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