For many people, when they come to Vol de Coloms it is their first time flying and they have many doubts before about the experience. That’s why we want to tell you some curiosities about the hot air balloons.

The first flights

Balloons have a long history. The first to use this flight system were the Chinese more than 2,000 years ago; however, they were not like now. At the time, they were like streetlights that were raised to signal military officers.

It is not until 1709 that we find evidence of the first flight with an aircraft like the ones we know now, it was Bartolomeu de Gusmão who made the first demonstration of aerial ascent with unmanned hot air balloons at the Casa d’Indies from Lisbon.

We had to wait about eighty years before to see the first manned balloon. But the first passengers were not people, the first to enjoy a balloon flight were a sheep, a rooster and a duck that flew above the city of Paris.

The highest flight in history

The highest altitude hot air balloon flight was piloted by Vijaypat Singhania. With a 45,000 m3 balloon he was able to reach a height of 21,027 meters above sea level. He used a pressurized capsule to avoid hypoxia. In Spain, the record is held by Carlos Brojeras who climbed up to 12,000 meters in 1997.

The longest flight in history

The world record for the longest balloon flight was achieved by Troy Bradley and Leonid Tiukhtyev when they went from Japan to the coast of Mexico, covering 10,696 km in 160 hours and 37 minutes.

Around the world in a balloon

We may think that the story of Willy Fox is a legend; however, in real life we have come across a real case. In 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Wim Verstraeten went around the world with the Breitling Orbiter III hot air balloon.

Have you imagined some of these curiosities about the hot air balloons?

You know, then:

COME AND TRY WHAT THE EXPERIENCE OF FLYING IN BALLOONS IS LIKE!

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