rpt F First flights

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"

2024-12-04