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First balloon flight over the English Channel
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First balloon flight over the English Channel
First balloon flight over the English Channel, from Dover to the French coast, by Jean-Pierre Blanchard. Seen here is the balloon in flight between Calais and Boulogne, with a fisherman, a farm labourer and a shepherd looking up in astonishment.
7 January 1785
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Media ID 7475215
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1780s 1785 Aerostatic Astonishment Ballooning Blanchard Boulogne Calais Channel Country Side Dover Fisherman Labourer Pierre Shepherd January
EDITORS COMMENTS
This image depicts the historic first balloon flight over the English Channel, achieved by the daring French aviator Jean-Pierre Blanchard on the 7th of January, 1785. The photograph captures the moment as the hot air balloon, piloted by Blanchard, floats gracefully between the coasts of Calais, France, and Boulogne, England. The serene countryside is dotted with rural landscapes, including a pier, farmland, and a quaint village. Three onlookers, a fisherman, a farm labourer, and a shepherd, are seen in the foreground, gazing up at the marvel of the era with a mixture of awe and astonishment. Their expressions convey the profound impact this new mode of transportation had on the rural communities of the time. The 1780s were a period of great innovation, as the possibilities of air travel began to be explored, and this image encapsulates the sense of wonder and excitement that came with it. Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a pioneer in the field of aerostatics, had already made history with his successful hot air balloon flight in Paris, France, in 1783. With this daring crossing of the English Channel, he further cemented his place in aviation history. The image, captured by The Royal Aeronautical Society (National Aerospace Library), is a testament to the spirit of adventure and the boundless potential of human ingenuity.
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