Hot air balloon technology. The first untethered manned hot air balloon flight was performed by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes on November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, in a balloon created by the Montgolfier brothers. The first hot-air balloon flown in the Americas was launched from the Walnut Street Jail in Philadelphia on January 9, 1793 by the French aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard. Hot air balloons that can be propelled through the air rather than simply drifting with the wind are known as thermal airships. Early unmanned hot air balloons were used in China. Zhuge Liang of the Shu Han
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