CIA NOTABLE FLIGHTS Part F. Firsts of all kinds
200-400 Earliest mythical manned flight

Antarqui (small boy) Nazca

1625 First description of hydrogen. first to use the word "gas". Founder of pneumatic chemistry.

Johann Baptista van Helmont¹

1709-08-08 Earliest recorded model balloon flight

Bartholomeu Lourenço de Gusmão¹ Gusmão

1731-11-17 First manned balloon flight according to Russian claims.

Mr. Kriakoutny Balloon made of Ox-hides

1782-11-25/26 First experiment by Montgolfier.

Joseph-Michel Montgolfier¹ Montgolfière No 1. Silk cube.

1782-12- First outdoor flight.

Joseph & Étienne Montgolfier¹ Montgolfière No 2. Cylinder.

1782-12-14 First free flight with a model balloon

Joseph & Étienne Montgolfier¹ Montgolfière No 3. Silk sphere.

1783-04-25 First free flight at night.

Joseph & Étienne Montgolfier¹ Montgolfière No 4. Linen & paper sphere.

1783-06-04 First public demonstration. free flight.

Joseph & Étienne Montgolfier¹ Montgolfière No 4. Linen & paper sphere.

1783-08-27 First Free flight by gas balloon.

Jacques Alexandre César Charles & Robert brothers¹ Charlière No 1. Rubberized silk sphere. Hydrogen.

1783-08-30 First aviation Royal decision

Louis XVI King of France¹

1783-09-19 First free flight with animals.

Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier¹ Montgolfière No 6. Painted cotton

1783-10-12 First tethered human flight.

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier Montgolfière No 7. Painted fire resistant cotton.

1783-10-14 First tethered passenger flight.

Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier Montgolfière No 7. Painted fire resistant cotton.

1783-11-21 First recorded manned flight.

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier Montgolfière No 7. Painted fire resistant cotton.

1783-12-01 First human flight in a gas balloon.

Jacques Alexandre César Charles Charlière No 2. Varnished silk. Hydrogen

1783-12-01 First human solo flight in a gas balloon.

Jacques Alexandre César Charles Charlière No 2. Varnished silk. Hydrogen

1784-01-19 First flight with more than 2 people

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier Montgolfière No 8. "Le Fleselles". Paper btwn 2 layers of linen

1784-03-02 First trial with a dirigible balloon.

Jean-Pierre Blanchard Blanchard No 1. Hydrogen.

1784-04-23 First aviation law


1784-06-04 First flight with a female passenger. Mme Elisabeth Thible

Mr. Fleurant Laurencin/Fleurant. "Le Gustave". Linen & paper.

1784-06-14 First attempt to make scientific observations.

Coustard de Massy de Massy. "Le Suffren". Hydrogen.

1784-06-23 First flight over 50 km distance.

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier Montgolfière "La Marie Antionette". Cotton and sheep skins.

1784-07-15 First flight with an elongated balloon with ballonet.

Marie-Noël Robert. (the younger) Hydrogen. "La Caroline"

1784-09-19 First flight over 100 km (186 km straight line).

Marie-Noël Robert. (the younger) Hydrogen balloon.

1785-01-07 First crossing of the Channel. First international air letter.

Jean-Pierre Blanchard Blanchard. Hydrogen balloon.

1785-06-15 First fatality.

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier Rozière. Hydrogen and hot air.

1785-06-29 First English woman to ascend. Passenger Mrs Letitia A. Sage

George Biggin Hydrogen balloon

1785-08-26 First flight over 200 km distance.

Jean-Pierre Blanchard Blanchard. Hydrogen balloon.

1785-09-08 First Aerial view published. trail rope first described

Thomas Baldwin Lunardi

1786-06-18 First night ascent.

Pierre Testu-Brissy Hydrogen balloon

1794-06-02 First use of balloons in war.

Jean-Marie-Joseph Coutelle "Entreprenant". hydrogen.

1794-06-23 First use of balloons in war.

Jean-Marie-Joseph Coutelle "Entreprenant". hydrogen.

1794-06-26 First use of balloons in war.

Jean-Marie-Joseph Coutelle "Entreprenant". hydrogen.

1797-10-22 First parachute descent from a balloon.

André Jacques Garnerin Hydrogen balloon

1798-10-16 First ascent with a horse.

Pierre Testu-Brissy Hydrogen balloon

1798-11-10 First all female crew. Paris

Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin (Miss Labrosse) Hydrogen balloon

1799-07-18 First balloon flight north of the arctic circle

Edward Daniel Clarke¹ Hot air balloon

1803-07-18 First expressly scientific ascent.

Etienne Gaspar Robertson "Entreprenant". hydrogen.

1803-10-04 First flight in Russia. first over 300 km.

André Jacques Garnerin Hydrogen balloon

1804-04-24 First verified flight over 3000 meters.

Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac Hydrogen balloon

1804-07-24 First pilot to save his life by parachute.

Jordaki Kuparentko

1804-09-19 First verified flight over 7000 meters.

Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac Hydrogen balloon

1807-09-23 First flight over 200 miles.

André Jacques Garnerin Hydrogen balloon

1808-06-02 First domestic air mail service starts in Denmark.

Johann Peter Colding¹ Colding. Hydrogen balloon. Unmanned

1808-08 First flight over 7 500 meters.

Pascal Andreoli Hydrogen/Hot Air balloon

1809-02/03 First international mail balloons.

Johann Peter Colding¹ Colding. Hydrogen balloon. Unmanned

1810-06-21 First woman to die in a balloon accident.

Marie Madeleine Sophie Armant Blanchard

1815-08-25 First woman parachutist. Elisa Garnerin

Elisabeth Garnerin Hydrogen balloon

1821-07-19 First use of coal gas.

Charles Green Green. "George IV". Coal gas.

1822-04-27 First Certificate of Airworthiness


1835-04-08 First flight over 500 km.

Richard Clayton "Star of the West"

1835-07-04 First mail carried in an American balloon.

Richard Clayton "Star of the West"

1836-10-06 First flight with 10 passengers

Charles Green "Royal Vauxhall". Coal gas

1836-11-08 First flight over 600 km. First use of drag rope.

Charles Green "Royal Vauxhall". Coal gas

1839-04-27 First use of Rip Panel

John Wise

1849-09-03 First Alpine crossing.

Francois Arban

1852-06-10 First discovery of ancient structures by aerial observation.

John Wise

1852-09-13 First pilot to make 500 ascents

Charles Green

1852-09-24 First successful airship flight.

Henri Giffard Giffard. Coal gas.

1858- First aerial photograph.

Gaspard-Félix Tournachon ("Nadar")

1859-07-02 First flight over 1 000 km.

John Wise "The Atlantic"

1861-04-20 First flight over 1 000 miles. (False claim)

Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe "Enterprise"

1861-06-18 First telegraph message from the air.

Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe "Enterprise"

1861-07-16 First military aircraft.

John Wise Wise

1862-09-05 First flight over 9 000 meters.

James Glashier "Mammoth". Coal gas.

1865-11-08 First balloon honeymoon.

Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe "United States"

1870-09-23 First balloon to leave Paris during the siege

Claude-Jules Durouf (Dufour) "Le Neptune"

1872-12-13 First use of internal gas combustion engine for dirigible

Paul Hänlein Hänlein

1874-10-19 First aerial Wedding.

Washington Harrison Donaldson "P. T. Barnum"

1884-08-09 First controlled airship flight.

Charles Renard Renard-Krebs "La France"

1886-09-13 First flight over 24 hours.

Henry Hervé

1897-07-11 First manned arctic flight. first aerial exploration.

Salomon August Andrée Lachambre. "Örnen". hydrogen.

1897-11-03 First flight of a rigid (metal outer cover) airship.

Ernst Jaegels David Schwartz No 2

1898-10-03 First flight over the Swiss Alps

Eduard Spelterini (Schweizer) "Wega"

1900-07-02 First successful flight of a rigid airship

Ferdinand Adolf August von Zeppelin. Count Zeppelin LZ 1. Hydrogen.

1901-07-31 First flight over 10 000 meters.

Arthur Joseph Berson "Preussen". hydrogen

1906-10-01 1st Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett. 1st place

Frank P. Lahm "United States"

1907-09-02 First Airship Polar Expedition

Walter Wellman Godard "America"

1909-10-26 First flight from the continent to England by a woman

Marie Marvingt "L'Etoile Filant"

1910-06-28 First Zeppelin passenger flight.

Capt. Kahlenberg Zeppelin LZ 7. "Deutschland". Hydrogen.

1910-10-15 First North Atlantic attempt by airship.

Walter Wellman Vaniman "America" enlarged

1911-10-29 Charles Dollfus first balloon flight.

Albert Omer-Decugis "Salammbo"

1912-10-29 7th Gordon Bennett. 1st place. First over 2000 km

Maurice Bienaimé "La Picardie". coal gas

1913-10-12 First woman in Gordon Bennett

Rene Rumpelmayer "Picardie"

1914-02-10 First flight over 3000 km.

Hans Rudolf Berliner Siemens-Schuckert. hydrogen

1915-06-15 First Zeppelin to complete 1 000 flights.

Eberhard Lempertz. Dr Zeppelin LZ 11. "Victoria Luise". Hydrogen.

1916-06-24 First flight across the Andes

Eduardo Bradley "Edoardo Newbery" hydrogen

1917-11-25 First Zeppelin flight south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Ludwig Bockholt Zeppelin LZ 104 (Navy L59). Hydrogen

1919-07-06 First Atlantic crossing by airship (1st east-west by any aircraft).

George Herbert Scott. Major Beardmore HMA R34. Hydrogen

1919-07-13 First West-East North Atlantic crossing by airship.

George Herbert Scott. Major Beardmore HMA R34. Hydrogen

1921-12-01 First airship to fly filled with helium

US Navy C-7

1926-01-01 Claimed to be first flight over 12 000 m.

Jean Callizo

1926-05-14 First flight over the North Pole.

Umberto Nobile Nobile N-1. "Norge". Hydrogen

1928-10-16 First commercial transatlantic flight.

Hugo Eckener Zeppelin LZ 127. "Graf Zeppelin". Hydrogen/blaugas (fuel).

1931-05-27 First flight over 15 000 meters.

Auguste Piccard OO-BFH. "F.N.R.S. I". Hydrogen

1932-08-18 First flight over 16 000 meters.

Auguste Piccard OO-BFH. "F.N.R.S. I". Hydrogen

1933-09-30 First flight over 18 000 meters.

G. A. Prokofiev "Osso-Aviachim". Hydrogen

1934-10-23 First woman in the stratosphere

Jeanette Ridlon Piccard "Century of Progress". Hydrogen

1934-12-19 First airship to fly more than 1 million km.

Hans Flemming Zeppelin LZ 127. "Graf Zeppelin". Hydrogen/blaugas (fuel).

1935-11-11 First flight over 22 000 meters.

Orvil A. Anderson "Explorer II". Helium

1958-12-12 Atlantic attempt. First East-west.

Arnold Eiloart "Small World". Hydrogen

1960-10-22 First modern Hot air Balloon prototype

Edward Yost Raven Mark 1. Vulcoon

1962-08-xx First International High Alpine Ballooning Week


1963-03-25 First crossing of English Channel by Hot Air Balloon.

Edward Yost Raven "Channel Champ"

1966-08-20 First modern European Hot Air Balloon

Veikko Kaseva Homebuilt. OH-XVK

1972-08-20 First flight over the Alps in Hot Air Balloon

Donald A. Cameron Cameron A140. "Cumulo Nimbus".

1973-01-04 First successful flight of a Hot Air Airship. Bristol.

Donald A. Cameron Cameron D96.

1973-01-07 First public demonstration of a Hot Air Airship. Newbury.

Donald A. Cameron Cameron D96.

1973-02-17 Winner of the First World Hot Air Balloon Championships

Dennis Floden

1973-05-01 First flight on pure solar heat

Tracy Barnes Barnes. "Solar Firefly". Tetrahedron.

1973-06-18 First Hot Air Balloon flight at Spitsbergen

Björn Hansen Cameron O-84. SE-ZZT. "Andrea"

1974-01-01 First European solar powered balloon

Dominic Michaelis Cameron

1974-04-20 First crossing of the Alps in a Hot Air Balloon

Josef Starkbaum Cameron O-77 "Poferl". G-BAMA

1975-04-20 First baptism in Hot Air Balloon

Sten-Åke Björnstedt Cameron O-84

1976-09-14 Winner of the First World Gas Balloon Championships

Peter Peterka

1977-05-08 First night flight by Hot Air Airship.

Hans Åkerstedt Cameron DS-140 "Hammlätt".

1978-01-27 First hot air balloon flight over the Andes

Kingswood Sprott JR "Quo Vadis"

1978-08-17 First successful Atlantic flight by balloon.

Maxie Leroy Anderson Yost. "Double Eagle II". N50DE

1980-04-11 First flight over the Geographical North Pole by Hot Air Balloon

Sid Conn Barnes FireFly 7

1980-05-12 First North America coast to coast flight.

Maxie Leroy Anderson Yost polyester. "Kitty Hawk"

1981-01-11 First Round-the-World Attempt.

Maxie Leroy Anderson Raven polyester. "Jules Verne"

1981-10-11 First US coast to coast flight.

John Shoecraft Raven polyester. "Super Chicken III"

1981-11-12 First Pacific crossing by Balloon.

Ben L. Abruzzo Raven Experimental. "Double Eagle V". N4008A. Helium

1983-06-25 First female pilot in "modern" Gordon Bennett

Nini Boesman Gas Balloon

1984-09-18 First solo Atlantic crossing by balloon.

Joseph W. Kittinger Yost GB-55. "Rosie O'Grady". Helium.

1984-10-13 First all female crew in Gordon Bennett

Nikki Caplan N-63SP "Emil Messner"

1986-08-29 First solo crossing of the Channel by a woman

Jacqueline Sax-Van Havere "Planta 1". OO-BLA

1986-09-02 First successful Atlantic crossing by Rozière balloon.

Henk Brink Cameron R-255. "Dutch Viking". Helium.

1987-07-03 First Atlantic crossing by Hot Air Balloon

Per Axel Lindstrand Colt 2500A. "Virgin Atlantic Flyer". G-USUK

1988-07-02 First pilot to fly over 100 000 km in gas balloons.

Franz Josef "Jojo" Maes

1988-08-07 Winner of the First World Hot Air Airship Championships

Oscar Lindström

1989-10-18 First pilot to spend over 5 000 hours in gas balloons.

Franz Josef "Jojo" Maes

1989-12-20 First night parachute drop from a balloon

Ruth Wilson VH-JLX

1990-09-21 First all female crew in Gas Balloon World Championships

Jana Vodsedalkova Gas Balloon

1990-09-30 Winner of the First World Rozière Balloon Championships

Nick Saum Rozière balloon

1990-10-03 First flight United Kingdom to USSR. (Ledurga. Latvia)

Donald A. Cameron Cameron R60. G-BRGU. "Doctus"

1991-01-17 First Pacific crossing by Hot Air Balloon.

Per Axel Lindstrand Colt 2500A. "Pacific Flyer". G-OWWF

1991-10-21 First flight by balloon over Mount Everest.

Chris Dewhirst Star Flyer I.

1991-10-21 First flight by balloon over Mount Everest.

Andrew Charles (Andy) Elson Star Flyer II.

1992-02-14 First successful East-West Atlantic crossing.

Thomas Feliu Cameron R-60. "La Ciudad de Huelva". 1 699 m3 helium.

1992-04-23 First balloon flight from Russia to USA across Bering Strait

Masahiko Fujita Cameron A-300. "The Earth We Love". JAA-664

1992-09-16 Winner of first Transatlantic Balloon Race. Bangor. Maine Sep 16

Wim Verstraeten Cameron R-77. "Chrysler 1". G-BUFA. 2 180 m3 helium.

1993-02-09 First balloon flight from China to Japan across China Sea

Michio Kanda Cameron O-105. JA-A677

1993-06-18 First flight across Australia.

Richard Smith Cameron R-77 " Australian Geographic Flyer"

1993-10-13 First female pilot to make over 1 000 flights in gas balloons.

Helma Sjuts

1995-02-22 First solo flight across the Pacific.

Steve Fossett Cameron R-150. G-BVUO. 4 248 m3 helium (5 440 total).

1995-03-01 Awarded first CIA Gold Badge with three diamonds

Bruce P. Comstock

1995-10-10 1st America's Challenge 1995. 1st place

Richard Abruzzo Gas Balloon. Helium

1995-12-12 First free balloon flight on the Antarctic continent

Bill Arras "Jimi" N51158

1996-04-21 First solo flight at the Geographical North Pole by Hot Air Balloon

Ivan André Trifonov Thunder&Colt 21A

1997-01-20 Around the World attempt. First over 3 continents. First to make 2 Atlantic crossings.

Steve Fossett Cameron R-210. 5947 cu m helium

1997-05-22 First wedding in a Hot Air Balloon performed by the balloon pilot

Eduardo Vaqués Correa Cameron. LV-WCY

1997-09-19 1st World Air Games. Hot Air Balloon Event. 1st place

Uwe Schneider

1998-01-05 Fastest Atlantic crossing. First to make 3 Atlantic crossings.

Steve Fossett Cameron R-210

1998-08-16 Around the World attempt. First South Atlantic crossing. first Indian ocean crossing.

Steve Fossett Cameron R-450

1998-12-25 Around the World attempt. First flight across Asia

Per Axel Lindstrand LBL AM-25000. "ICO Global Challenge"

1999-03-21 First Around-the-World Flight.

Bertrand Piccard Cameron R-650. "Breitling Orbiter 3". HB-BRA

1999-May First flight across the North West Passage

David Hempleman-Adams Thunder&Colt A120. G-BYDJ. "Typhoo Challenger"

2000-01-08 First flight at the South Pole

Anulfo Gonzalez Cameron C-60. EC-HDB

2000-01-01 First flight of the new Millennium. at least in Finland

Jan Fröjdman Cameron A-140. OH-IDA. "IDA"

2000-06-03 First flight to the North Pole (and back)

David Hempleman-Adams Cameron R-90. G-BYZX "Britannic Challenge"

2001-08-17 First South Pacific crossing. first solo flight over 300 hours

Steve Fossett Cameron R-550. N277SF

2002-07-03 Second Around-the-World Flight. First solo flight Around-the-World

Steve Fossett Cameron R-600. "Bud Light Spirit of Freedom"

2002-09-19 First flight over Mount Rainer. WA (4 392 m. 14 410 ft). Project Tahoma

Vic Johnson AX-10

2003-09-29 First transatlantic flight in an open wicker basket

David Hempleman-Adams Cameron R-90. G-BYZX. "Pinneys Smoked Salmon"


© CIA, Hans Åkerstedt
2024-12-06