21st November: First hot air balloon flight

On this date in 1783 François de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandres made the first human flight when they lifted off from the Bois de Boulogne, Paris, in a hot-air balloon built by the Montgolfier brothers. Here are 10 things you might not know about hot air balloons.

1. Hot air balloons work because hot air rises. The air inside the balloon is less dense than the air outside, making it buoyant.
2. The part of the balloon which contains the hot air is called the envelope. It is usually made from nylon with the part closest to the flame made of fire resistant nomex.
3. King Louis XVI originally decreed that the pilots and passengers for the first balloon flight should be condemned criminals, but de Rozier, along with Marquis François d'Arlandes, persuaded him to let them do it.
4. The first military use of a hot air balloon was in 1794 during the battle of Fleurus, when the French used the balloon l'Entreprenant for observation.
5. The first modern hot air balloon to be made in the United Kingdom (UK) was the Bristol Belle, built in 1967.
6. Some records: The highest flight: 21,027m (68,986 ft) by Vijaypat Singhania on November 26, 2005; the longest flight: 7,671.91 km (4,767.10 mi) from Japan to Northern Canada, by Per Lindstrand and Richard Branson on January 15, 1991 in the 'Virgin Pacific Flyer'; the fastest ground speed: 245 mph (394 km/h) by the Pacific Flyer; The longest duration record: 19 days, 21 hours, and 55 minutes by Swiss psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard, Auguste Piccard's grandson; and Brian Jones, in the Breitling Orbiter 3. It was also the first nonstop trip around the world by balloon. Fastest balloon trip around the world: 320 h 33 min by Steve Fossett on 3 July 2002.
7. The worst hot air balloon accident took place on 26 February 2013 when a hot air balloon carrying tourists ignited and crashed near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 of the 21 people on board.
8. In the UK, the person in command of a balloon must hold a valid Private Pilot's Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority specifically for ballooning; this is known as the PPL(B).The balloon then needs a transport category C of A (certificate of air worthiness). For passenger flying the balloon also requires a maintenance log.
9. Champagne toasts are a traditional part of balloon flights. The tradition started with early flights in France where the crew would carry a bottle of bubbly with them to placate any frightened or angry people at the landing site. A popular toast among balloonists is: "soft winds and gentle landings."
10. The largest hot air balloon festival in the world takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA during early October. The Balloon Fiesta is a nine day event, and has over 500 balloons each year.