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The article traces the history of the first gas-powered balloon flights in 1783 by brothers Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier and scientist Jacques-Alexandre-César Charles. Hydrogen gas, named that time as "inflammable air," was used to lift the balloons. Charles also formulated a law of gases which was important to ballooning. A description of the first balloon flight is presented as well as the "balloonomania" that it has created in France.

Focuses on the Gordon Bennett Cup race which took place in Paris in June 1983 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first manned balloon flights. Hurdles faced by the participants due to bad weather; Winner of the race.

Recounts experiences of the authors on their expedition aboard the balloon Double Eagle II from Presque Isle, Maine to Miserey, France during August 1978. Challenges faced by them during the journey; Reason why they decided to climb to high altitudes quickly; Type of clothes they wore on the trip; Description of their experience while crossing the Atlantic ocean; Other attempts made by various balloonists that ended in failure.

The article reports on the historic first crossing of the Atlantic by hot air balloon, by three balloonist Ben Abruzzo, Max Anderson, and Larry Newman, all from Albuquerque, New Mexico. It mentions that sailing majestically through the air at 12 m.p.h., the three balloonist landed in Miserey, a wheat-field village 50 miles west of Paris, France, from Presque Isle, Maine, in five days, 17 hours and six minutes. It stresses that the bane of the hot air balloon craft was Double Eagle II. It states that their flight gave a lift to American spirits.

A personal narrative is presented which describes the author's transatlantic balloon flight from Canada to France.

This article presents a narrative of the author's experience of a ballooning trip to the Loire River Valley in France. One of the author's friends has been in the tourist ballooning business in Europe for eight years now. The balloon boarded by the author and his friends was nine story high and held 160,000 cubic feet of hot air. The balloon was equipped with a device called "turning window." The device is an arrangement of flaps that allows the pilot to rotate the balloon itself, and the basket attached to it, around the column of hot air that holds the whole thing up. The balloons lift off in unison. The air was beautifully clear and crisp. When the balloon is packed up for the night, everyone drank a glass of wine.

The article presents a profile of engineer and scientist Jean Marie Joseph Coutelle, focusing on his efforts to design a hydrogen hot-air balloon to be used as a reconnaissance aircraft during the French Revolution. The article details the first flight of the balloon l'Entreprenant during a siege at Maugeuge, France on June 2, 1794, discusses the system of signals used by balloon operators, and mentions French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte's resistance to using military balloons.

The article focuses on the writing and evolution of "Where the Wind Wants to Go," the ballooning song by Don Conner, a musician, songwriter and balloonist. The song was written by Conner in June 1975 inspired by his trip to the Malcolm Forbes' balloon museum at Chateau Balleroy in France. Conner recorded the song with friend and fellow musician, Bob Wehrley. It relates why Conner decided to change the name of the song from "The Balloon Song," to "Where the Wind Wants to Go."

The article reports on the English Channel flight conducted by balloonists Paul Edward Yost and Don Piccard on April 13, 1961. Yost and Piccard landed near Gravelines, France three hours after a launch in Rye, Sussex in England. It is stated that the flight introduced the modern hot air balloon to the world. The flight was also speculated as a proof-of-concept flight for Yost's landing board.

The author reflects on issues related to hot air ballooning. She provides an overview of the first balloon ride in history in France in 1783 wherein brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier loaded several farm animals into a hot air balloon prototype they created. She discusses her experience in riding a hot air balloon operated by Fantasy Balloon Charters.

Focuses on premier locations for ballooning, soaring, paragliding and hang gliding. Air currents in Château-d'Oex, Switzerland; Paragliding locations in Chamonix, France and Chelan Butte, Washington; Hang gliding locations in Manilla, Australia and Santa Barbara, California.

The article discusses the failure of publisher-balloonist Malcolm S. Forbes' Windborne aerostatic vehicle due to launching system defects. The rockets that should have been released at intervals by the launching system had to be severed from the gondola by emergency release to prevent a fatal accident. Forbes decided to install the aerostat in his ballooning museum at the Chateau de Balleroy in Normandy, France. The ballooning word records set by Forbes in 1973 and his designation as the first person to cross the U.S. in a single balloon are described.

Focuses on scientist Benjamin Franklin's comments about early manned free-balloon flights in France, according to Howard Wilk.