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Pilatre De Rozeir launched the first hot air balloon called 'Aerostat Reveillon' that held a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. The balloon stayed in the air for a total of 15 minutes before crashing down.
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The first manned attempt was by two french brothers named Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier. They launched the balloon in the center of Paris and it flew for 20 minutes!
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French balloonist, Jean Pierre Blanchard and American pilot, John Jefferies became the first people to fly across the English Channel in a hot air balloon. This was considered a great achievement in the history of long distance ballooning.
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Jean Pierre Blanchard became the first person to fly a hot air balloon in North America. George Washington was present at the launch of this major event.
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Swiss scientist, Auguste Piccard was the first man to fly a hot air balloon into the stratosphere. He reached a height of 52,498 feet! This set the altitude record and from then on, for a couple of years, it was a race to see who could break the record.
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The hot air balloon called 'Double Eagle II' was the first hot air balloon to cross the Atlantic. This balloon was a helium filled model and carried 3 people
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Today people around the world go on hot air balloon flights just for the thrill of it. Today anyone can ride a hot air balloon and there aren't really "races" to beat records. Hot air ballooning today is mostly for enjoyment and fun.
