Front:
DENVER
CO
17
1991
19
80266
Back:
HOT AIR BALLOONING
First Day of Issue: May 17, 1991
First Issue Location: Denver, Colorado
Pioneer aviator Wilbur Wright believed that our desire to
fly stemmed from ancient man's envious observation of
birds soaring "on the infinite highway of the air." Man
began serious experimentation with balloon flight in the
18th Century. In 1783 Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier
launched an unmanned balloon which traveled nearly
two miles before its descent. The first manned balloon
flight took place in November of 1783, when Jean-
Francois Rozier and Francois Laurent kept their hot-air
balloon aloft for a five mile journey. Balloons soon played
important roles in the military and scientific arenas,
providing reconnaissance information and weather data.
In 1906 international long-distance trophy competitions
sparked fervent interest in sport ballooning, but the recre-
ation eventually declined in popularity. Mass production
of plastic, nylon and polyethylene balloon materials and
propane burners in the 1960s rejuvenated the sport, and
today balloon clubs exist worldwide to accommodate
both gas and hot-air balloon aficionados.
No. 91-27
©1991 The Maximum Card Collection
A division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007
® Original painting for the Maximum Card by George Sottung
