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 |