First overnight balloon flight. Historical artwork of the first overnight balloon flight,which used coal gas and took place from 7-8 November 1836. The Royal Vauxhall balloon was flown by the English balloonist Charles Green (1785-1870),Thomas Monck Mason (1803-1889),and Robert Hollond (1808-1877). They took off from Vauxhall Garden,London,England,at 13:00,arriving in Weilburg,Nassau,Germany,at 07:30 the next day. They flew a record distance of 722 kilometres in 18 hours. They flew over Kent,across the English Channel,over northern France,and Belgium (here crossing the River Meuse). To mark the journey,the balloon was renamed the Nassau. Artwork from Astra Castra (Hatton Turner,London,1865) |