Francois Laurent (1742-1809),Marquis d'Arlandes,French ballonist. A year after the Montgolfier brothers development of a successful hot-air balloon in November 1782,the first untethered flight by man was made by a chemistry and physics teacher,Jean Francois Pilatre de Rozier (1754-1785),one of the first pioneers of aviation,with a soldier,Francois Laurent d'Arlande,They ascended in a 'Montgolfiere' in November 1783 from the Bois de Boulogne,reached a height of around 1000m and landed 26 minutes later after covering a distance of 9km |