First manned balloon flight, 19th-century illustration. Designed by the French Montgolfier brothers, the balloon took off from the Chateau de la Muette, Paris, France, on 21 November 1783. Flown by Jean Francis Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurent, Marquis d'Arlandes, it landed 9 kilometres away after 25 minutes. The hot air was from a stove burning wool and straw. It had been preceded by unmanned and animal-carrying balloon flights earlier in the year. Artwork from 'Aerostation - Aviation' (1911) by French civil engineer Max de Nansouty (1854-1913), part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.