Balloon Flights

The history of the balloon

A Brief History of the Hot Air Balloon

A brief history of the hot air balloon

France, 1783. That’s where it all began — although there are several accounts suggesting that the first balloons may have taken to the skies even earlier (including some with Polish origins). Officially, however, France is considered the pioneer of aviation, and the balloon is recognised as the first aircraft in history — making its maiden ascent with animals on board: a sheep, a rooster, and a duck.

Shortly after, on November 21, 1783, Jean François Pilâtre de Rozier, together with François Laurent d’Arlandes, completed the first free flight in history in a hot air balloon.

Ballooning in Poland

Ballooning developed very quickly in Poland. Almost from the very beginning — right after the first free balloon flight — Poles began their own work in this field, and on May 10, 1789, the first hot air balloon in Poland took off from the Foksal Gardens in Warsaw. The flight was carried out by Jean-Pierre Blanchard, in the presence of King Stanisław August Poniatowski himself.

Since then, ballooning in Poland has been developing dynamically. Polish pilots have made their mark as winners of the most prestigious competition — the Gordon Bennett Cup. Today, Polish pilots rank among the best in competitive ballooning, while commercial balloon aviation is experiencing a real boom.

We invite you to visit our blog — you’ll find plenty of fascinating stories there, including insights into the history of ballooning (for example, about the Polish Balloon Corps during the Second Polish Republic). Enjoy reading!

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to all the most frequently asked questions or check out our knowledge base to get more details.

Of course! Our flight calendar offers information on the number of open spots in each flight. Just choose one that has enough spaces for all of you and you sign everyone up for the same flight 😊

It depends – typically between 10-18 people.

Yes, children at least 120cm tall may join fights, provided they are able to safely participate and are accompanied by a guardian on board.

Your ticket is valid for 24 months. On average, our passengers have to sign up for 2/3 flights before they actually fly as our flights are 100% dependent on safe weather conditions. Sometimes, they fly on the 1st flight they signed up for, but sometimes, it takes 3 or even 4 times before they fly.

The moment your flight gets cancelled, your booking code becomes active again and you may sign up for another flight.

We usually spend about an hour in the air. However, this depends entirely on terrain and weather conditions. Sometimes we land after just 50 minutes, as continuing the flight would require staying in the air much longer (for example, when approaching a city or dense forest). At other times, we may fly for 70 or even 80 minutes if the situation requires it (for example, when flying over a city in light wind and waiting to find a safe landing spot). Our balloons are always equipped with enough gas to safely remain airborne for 100–120 minutes.

However, you should set aside about 3–4 hours for the entire adventure. This includes a short passenger briefing, balloon setup, the flight itself, packing up the balloon, and a celebratory glass of sparkling wine shared with fellow passengers and the crew.


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  • DreamBalloon Sp. z o.o.
  • ul. Piotra Skargi 5
  • 78-400 Szczecinek
  • +48 602 868 883
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