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(Continued) Albuquerque, New Mexico, with its history and contribution to ballooning, hosts this event every year to celebrate this long evolving two-century history. Balloon Fiesta has become the largest ballooning event in the world. Balloon Fiesta’s historical roots began in France in 1783 when the Montgolfier Brothers launched a trial balloon with the world’s first passengers; a sheep, duck and a chicken. This first flight used wood, old shoes, straw and rancid meat for their flame to heat the balloon envelope. Needless to say, all of Paris held its breath --- not in awe of the event but of the smell. All went well with the exception of the sheep stepping on the duck’s foot. The flight proved possible the ability to breathe air high in the sky. A few weeks later, the first manned hot air balloon flight was launched in France by the worlds first “Aeronauts”, Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Alandes. It was in the presence of King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and America’s first ambassador to France, Ben Franklin. Their hot air balloon was followed 11 days later by Jacques Charles’s hydrogen gas filled (closed envelope) balloon. In 1785, Pilatre de Rozier also experimented with a hybrid of the two types – hot air and gas. These wonderful first world flight inventions will be re-invented in the 20th Century. They will set new Around the World ballooning records and begin a whole new world of sport ballooning. Gas ballooning at the time was safer and thrived in Europe during the hot air’s absence.. Gas filled (closed envelope) balloons of hydrogen, (highly inflammable) and later safer helium was used throughout the years for sport in Europe, weather observation and were of strategic military importance during the French Revolution, Franco Prussian War, the American Civil War and both world wars. Ballooning was our first form of aviation, with it being lighter than air, it preceded the Wright Brothers by over two hundred and twenty years. Hot air balloons, even though were first in flight, lagged for years because of this lack of a proper burner and fuel to heat its balloon envelope. After 177 years, from 1783 to 1960, of virtually static advancement, the evolution of hot air ballooning flared in one bright burst with the creation of a burner source and propane fuel that gave birth to the modern day balloon system. Ed Yost and Don Piccard with a curious, imaginative and creative team at Raven Industries of Sioux Falls, South Dakota developed the modern day hot air sport balloon In 1960 “Sport” hot air ballooning had finally arrived. The sport grew slowly until the 1970’s when Don Cameron in the UK and Sid Cutter and Tom Rutherford of Albuquerque, New Mexico founded small balloon rallies which have since grown into the largest on each continent. After a few years of “balloon rally” name changing The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta founded by Sid Cutter and Tom Rutherford, took hold in 1972 and became the world’s largest ballooning event. In 1974 “Balloon Fiesta” set the stage for years to come by putting on more fun loving events along with their highly prestigious and successful competitive gas ballooning events like the Gordon Bennet Race (the worlds first and oldest gas ballooning event) and America’s Challenge Race along with the World Championship Hot Air Balloon Race. Today’s venues are highly diversified and entertaining
It is a perfect match for the 70 mm - Large Format / IMAX screen. |
Contact Information:Telephone: (818) 905-9557 (818) 439-9169 Fax: (818) 808-0054 Postal address: 15611 Ventura Blvd. - Encino, CA - 91436 Email: immortalclassics@aol.com Last Update: 04/24/2007 Web Design by: www.alleycatproduction.com
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