1901
~ A. Berson and Dr. R. J. Suring rose to a 35,440-foot altitude.
They were unconscious during the highest part of the flight, even though
they had oxygen on board.
October
19, 1901 ~ Alberto Santos-Dumont after experimenting with gasoline
to be used for powering balloons flew a cigar-shaped balloon above Paris
over a seven-mile course.
1910
~
Zeppelin Company operating the first commercial air transport service.
1914
~ Hans Berliner flew from Germany to the Ural Mountains in Russia.
This is one of the longest trips made, 1,897 miles.
1919
~ First successful airship crossing. British R-34 over the Atlantic.
1922
~ The Roma built by Italy for the United States, exploded over Hampton
Road, Virginia.
1923
~ The Dixmude, a French Zeppelin was lost in the Mediterranean.
1925
~ Shenandoah, a United States airship destroyed by violent winds.
March
9, 1927 ~ Capt. Hawthorne C. Gray of the United States Army soared
to an American record of 28,500 feet (8,680 meters).
November
4, 1927 ~ Captain Gray died due to an oxygen supply failure but
rose to 42,470 feet (12,945 meters).
1929
~ Germany continued to make Zeppelins. The Graf Zeppelin in
less than 21 days flew around the world.
1932
~ Prof. Piccard of Brussels University developed and flew a ball-shaped,
airtight, aluminum cabin equipped with oxygen tanks, reaching an altitude
of 53,153 feet (16,201 meters).
November
11, 1935 ~ Using the same equipment, Captains Albert W. Stevens
and Orvil A. Anderson rose to 72,395 feet (22,066 meters).
1937
~ The Hindenburg between Germany and the United States made ten
round trips. Caught fire during its approach to Lakehurst, N.J.,
killing 35 of the 97 passengers aboard.
1955
~ Ed Yost built a 39 foot diameter polyethylene balloon at his home.
Designed a multiple burner propane heater to inflate the balloon.
March
1957 ~ Endurance record made while traveling across the Atlantic
and back in 264 hours without refueling, made by a United States Navy Airship.
August
19, 1957 ~ Setting a new record, Air Force Major David Simons starting
at Crosby, Minnesota reached about 102,000 feet (31,100 meters) over Wahpeton,
North Dakota. This was 6,000 feet higher than the record set in June
1957 by Capt. Joseph Kittinger, which was 96,000 feet (29,260 meters).
Valuable information regarding cosmic rays and other pheneomena was obtained
by these flights.
August
12, 1960 ~ Echo I, the first passive communications satellite,
sent into space. An aluminum coated plastic balloon used to reflect
radio signals.
August
16, 1960 ~ Four world's records were set in one flight by Captain
Kittinger. In an open gondola balloon, he rose to about 102,800 feet
(31,330 meters). Highest record for manned balloons and open gondolas.
Set a free fall record and made the highest parachute jump at a record
of 85,300 feet (26,000 meters).
October
10, 1960 ~ The 'modern' hot-air balloon was born (completed by Ed
Yost). From Bruning, Nebraska, in a Raven prototype, the first man
carrying flight took place. The envelope was constructed of mylar/nylon
laminate and the burner was propane powered. With a lifting power
of 450 pounds.
May
4, 1961 ~ Lieut. Commander Victor Prather and Commander Malcolm
Ross rose to a record 113,740 feet (34,668 meters).
1962
~ Blimps were retired from service. Few still remain in storage for
war-reserve.
March
12, 1962 ~ The United States Air Force launched a balloon for manned
astronomical balloon observatories with special stabilization equipment.
This balloon carried two men named The Star-Gazer, a 12-inch telescope
to an altitude of about 100,000 feet (30,500 meters).
1963
~ The first United States National Championships was sustained by the growing
sport of ballooning.
October
1972 ~ A record unmanned balloon flight for highest altitude - The
Winzen Research Balloon 170,000 feet (51,816 meters).
August
11, 1978 ~ Ben Abruzzo, Max Anderson, and Larry Newman in the Double
Eagle II attempted to cross the Atlantic Ocean. In Five days,
17 hours, and 6 minutes from Presque Isle, Maine, they landed in Miserey,
France. They traveled 3,120 miles (5,021 kilometers).
1981
~ Abruzzo, Newman, Ron Clark, and Rocky Aoki crossed the Pacific Ocean.
They became the first group to cross in the Double Eagle V flying
5,208 miles (8,381 kilometers) in 84 hours and 31 minutes. From Nagashima,
Japan to the northern coast of California.
1984
~ Joseph Kittinger manned the first solo balloon expedition across the
Atlantic. From Caribou, Maine in nearly 84 hours where he had to
crash land his Rosie O' Grady's
in Savona, Italy, he traveled 3,535
miles (5,689 kilometers) setting a new world distance solo record.
1992
~ Balloons from Belgium, United States, The Netherlands, and Germany flew
from Bangor, Maine to Peque, Spain in the first transatlantic balloon race
in history. In 114 hours and 27 minutes over 2,580 miles (4,150 kilometers).
An American team of Richard Abruzzo and Troy Bradley made the longest and
inadvertently the first to fly from the United States to Africa when high
winds blew them off course while racing to Europe.
1995
~ Steve Fossett manned the first solo flight across the Pacific Ocean.
Flying 5,400 miles (8,690 kilometers), he set a new distance record.
January
1997 ~ The longest hot-air balloon flight was navigated by Steve
Fossett. From St. Louis, Mo. across the eastern United States, traversing
Africa and Central Asia and abruptly landed in India. Flying 9,672
miles (15,565 kilometers) in 146 hours and 54 minutes. Fossett broke
his previous record of 5,438 miles (8,751 kilometers) in 2 hours and 40
minutes. He fell short of circumnavigating the world by 15,000 miles
(24,140 kilometers).
March
20, 1999 ~ First nonstop round-the world balloon flight. Bertrand
Piccard and Brian Jones became the first to circumnavigate the world.
Landing in Egypt after 19 days 21 hours and 55 minutes and traveled 29,000
miles.
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