Aviation in France The national carrier of France is Air France, a full service global airline which flies to 20 domestic destinations and 150 international destinations in 83 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of France) across all 6 major continents. The history of French aviation began at the beginning of the 20th century. The French had been involved in human flight since 1783, when François Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes flew over Paris in the first human flight in a Hot air balloon. On 7 January 1785 Jean-Pierre Blanchard crossed the English Channel, from Dover to Calais, on board a hydrogen balloon.
Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic Classic consists of three different balloon events: The Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic, one of the oldest hot-air balloon races in the mid-South, started in Decatur, AL in 1978 with competition among 17 balloonists from Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. It was a showcase for the new Decatur balloon, one of the first to represent a city, and an event to kick off Alabama's tourism season. The Jubilee now draws about 60 pilots from 20 states for two days of friendly competition during the annual Memorial Day holiday weekend. The continued popularity of the Alabama Jubilee prompted the