There’s nothing in the world quite like travel. You get to experience different cultures, languages, landscapes, and mindsets. It can expand your mind and the way you look at the world. Ever wonder what travel will be like in the future? Will we still have to take our shoes off at the airport? Will planes be bigger but still somehow not have enough leg room? Will we finally have flying cars? I guess will we see, but in the meantime, let’s check out some facts about the first type of air travel – the hot air balloon.

• Hot air balloons weren’t just always something that people do for fun and romance. The first live passengers to go anywhere in a hot air balloon were a sheep, a cock, and a duck. The trio travel more than two miles and land unharmed, except that the cock has been kicked by the sheep.
• Later attempts saw a balloon travel 15 feet before springing a leak and crashing to the ground near a village. The first peasants on the scene, alarmed at the arrival of this demon from the sky, beat it until it appeared dead.
• 1783 saw the first recorded manned flight in a hot air balloon take place in Paris and made a 22 minute flight.
• A spectator of the 22 minute flight asked, “So, what’s the use of it?” Benjamin Franklin, who was there, replied, “What is the use of a newborn baby?”
• Fast forward to 1991. Richard Branson set the record for the longest flight, which went from Japan to Northern Canada – more than 4,700 miles!

{ 0 comments }