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
Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic hot air balloons. Hot air ballooningHot air balloon festival Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic is an annual, five-day festival held at Ann Morrison Park in Boise, Idaho, USA, featuring hot air balloons. Prior to the balloon classic, an annual balloon event had occurred in Boise since 1974. The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic was organized by balloonist Scott Spencer and began in 1991, featuring ten balloons. The balloon classic was part of the Boise River Festival, and both events occurred together until 2002 when the Boise River Festival was discontinued. The balloon classic was