Balloonomania their ballooning stunts, with Blanchard and his companion Dr. John Jeffries being the first to cross the English channel in a balloon on January 7, 1785. The public reaction among intellectuals and academics was generally cooler, with some critics of balloonomania including the likes of Sir Joseph Banks and Samuel Johnson, who wrote in a 1783 letter to Hester Thrale, who had inquired about the nature of hot air balloons, “Happy are you, Madam, that have ease and leisure to want intelligence of air balloons. Their existence is, I believe, indubitable, but I know not that they can possibly be
Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic The Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic is held annually on Memorial Day weekend in Decatur, Alabama. Each year the Jubilee hosts about 60 local and national hot-air balloons at Point Mallard Park. Public admission is free of charge, and the weekend boasts many fun and exciting activities. Below a partial listing of events that are part of each year's Jubilee: The Alabama Jubilee is unique in that it allows for the crowd of around 50,000 to mingle with pilots and crews, while 7-story tall balloons inflate and float overhead. The Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon