Balloons Modern Marvels : Season 5 Episode 35

More than a century before the Wright brothers, a Frenchman named Pilatre do Rozier took off on the first-ever manned flight. His vehicle was a hot air balloon designed by the brothers Montgolfier. From the ornate contraption filled with air heated by a straw fire that carried Rozier into history to the high-tech, closed capsule masterpieces of today, this episode chronicles the history of these extraordinary craft. It is a story filled with the dreams of fearless pioneers and fueled by everything from propane to solar power. You'll go inside the cabin of a craft designed to tackle the Everest of ballooning--a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Examine the many uses balloons have been put to over the years, and hear from the designers and "pilots" who have dedicated their lives to riding the winds. And thrill to incredible footage of all types of balloons filling the air at rallies.