Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Banks 1-Dec-1783
Recounts the ascent of the Frères Roberts and Jacques Charles anticipated in Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Banks 22-Nov-1783 (and seemingly in another letter, Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Banks 30-Nov-1783).
The balloonists took onboard sand to use as ballast. They ascended to 200' and saluted the spectators. They rose further and drifted in a light wind.
In a second part of the latter dated Tuesday Morning, December 2, Franklin writes that he has learned of the adventurers' safe landing, 7 leagues from Paris.
In the final part Franklin relates a crucial discovery for steering balloons by changing altitude to enter a different current of wind:
P. S. Tuesday Evening. . . . I hear farther that the Travellers had perfect Command of their Carriage, descending as they pleas'd by letting some of the inflammable Air escape, and rising again by discharging some Sand; that they descended over a Field so low as to talk with Labourers in passing and mounted again to pass a Hill. The little Balloon falling at Vincennes shows that mounting higher it met with a Current of Air in a Contrary Direction; An Observation that may be of use to further aërial Voyagers.
Sources
- Rotch, 1909, Conquest of the Air, pp. 55–60
| Sender | Benjamin Franklin |
|---|---|
| Recipient | Joseph Banks |
| Date sent | 1-Dec-1783 |
| From location | Passy, France |
| To location | London? |
| Communication type | |
| Language | English |
| Refers to flight? | 1 |
| Tech fields | balloon, LTA, navigation |
| Length (in words) | |
| Full text available |
