Did you know that a human was not the first to fly in a hot air balloon? In September 1783, a few months before a manned hot air balloon ascended above Paris, an experimental flight was conducted with a sheep, a duck, and a rooster lifted in the balloon’s basket. Both flights were successful, and the popularity of hot air balloons skyrocketed. The image of the balloon appeared everywhere – on postcards, handkerchiefs, dishes, furniture, umbrellas, and more.
The phenomenon of the hot air balloon has captured the minds of many people, both then and now – scientists, artists, writers, and simply dreamers!
Since ancient times, it has symbolized humanity’s desire for freedom and adventure, a yearning for new heights both literally and metaphorically.
The hot air balloon has also taken on a rather romantic meaning, thanks to its picturesque appearance and gracefully flowing character.
It’s no wonder that the balloon, lifting a person towards new horizons, is at the heart of many well-known cultural artifacts. Perhaps you have seen, heard, or read about some bright examples! One such can be found in the film “Around the World in 80 Days” (1956), based on Jules Verne’s novel of the same name. I can, however, reveal that there is no hot air balloon in Verne’s novel – the filmmakers, when adapting the novel for the big screen, chose it as a vivid image that has remained in many people’s memories forever. The magnificent balloon, cheered on as it ascends, where one can leisurely sip champagne while awaiting new adventures and discoveries, is a striking and inspiring symbol that invites you to dream and believe in miracles.
However, the filmmakers didn’t choose the hot air balloon entirely by chance. Jules Verne wrote a lesser-known novel titled “Five Weeks in a Balloon”, which I highly recommend for any adventure seeker! The daring journey of two friends in a hot air balloon across Africa was Verne’s first published novel. A film of the same name (Five Weeks in a Balloon, 1962) was also made based on this novel. Although less popular, it too features an impressive, colorful balloon heading towards new discoveries. In Verne’s time, hot air balloons were truly wondrous and were experiencing their golden age. His extraordinary imagination and art of dreaming “beyond borders” remind each of us to lift off from the ground a little and believe that – everything is possible!
But if Verne’s adventure stories don’t quite lift you to the clouds, then perhaps a magician might! Do you remember the fantastic hot air balloon from the film “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), based on L. Frank Baum’s book of the same name? A magical tale, a must-read even if you’re no longer a child! In the book, there’s an entire chapter dedicated to Oz and little Dorothy’s conversation about how the hot air balloon is launched, detailing various nuances related to it. A magician traveling in a hot air balloon – an unforgettable scene that gave many children then, and even later, a chance to dream and for a moment break free from what sometimes holds us so tightly to the ground. It’s the perfect reading material if you dream of experiencing a bit of magical ascent into the clouds!
While we can’t offer you an 80-day trip around the world or a magical wizard in a hot air balloon, we can certainly pass on that wondrous sense of adventure and those golden moments! Soar above the everyday and fly closer to your dreams with us!
Hot Air Balloon Pilot Indulis Blūms
