The caged duck looked down as terra firma slowly drifted away and above the duck, a balloon, constructed of paper and fabric, provided the lift necessary to carry aloft the duck and its companions, a sheep and a rooster and never before had a human, let alone a duck, flown in a balloon. The year was 1783, a milestone year for aviation—the dream of flying had finally been realized. On October 15th of that year, a few months after the duck's historic flight, a balloon, 'Aerostat Reveillon,' launched in France, carrying scientist Pilatre De Rozier, and rose to the end of its 250 foot tether and it stayed aloft for fifteen minutes and then landed safely nearby.

The history of ballooning, both with hot air and gas, spans many centuries. It includes many firsts, including and the first human flight, first flight across the English Channel, first flight in North America, and first aircraft related disaster.

The history of balloons - including the early animal intestine varieties.The first rubber balloons were made by Professor Michael Faraday in 1824 for use in his experiments with hydrogen at the Royal Institution in London and that is the history of ballooning.