France for Adventure - Hot-Air Ballooning

There’s no better place to enjoy your first montgolfière experience than in Annonay in the Ardèche – the spot where the Montgolfier brothers first made history more than 220 years ago.

Since its famous sons Joseph and Étienne de Montgolfier produced the first hot air balloon over the town on 4 June 1783, Annonay has undeniably remained the capital of the montgolfière. In the first weekend of June it offers a stunning free show portraying the Mongolfiers’ first voyage and you are guaranteed to see the skies filled with balloons of all sizes and colours at dawn and in the early part of the evening.

Factory family

The Montgolfier brothers had 14 brothers and sisters, but Joseph, the 12th child born in 1740, and Étienne, the 15th, really stood out.

Neither showed any great enthusiasm for the family paper-manufacturing business, (still known today for its Canson paper) with their father Pierre firmly holding the reins of the factory just outside Annonay.

After two unsuccessful attempts by the brothers to fly a balloon, the first using paper filled with steam, and the other combining sulphuric acid with iron fillings, Joseph – the dreamer – noticed one day that ashes were rising from the fireplace. He swiftly devised a taffeta and newspaper model, which he launched above the chimney fire and voilà, the prototype of the montgolfière was born.

The brothers’ first public experiment was scheduled in Annonay on the 4 June 1783 to coincide with a meeting of the area’s most influential people. Under a menacing sky and with the wind beginning to rise, Joseph and Étienne – l’homme de science – propelled in the air an aérostat named Séraphina, using gas obtained by burning a mixture of wet straw and chopped wool.

The balloon, a sort of giant bag made of fabric lined with paper, was found in a nearby vineyard, two kilometres from where it had taken off.

Farmyard test flight

After this resounding success, the brothers organised the first ‘accompanied’ flight from the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, with three ‘passengers’ on board: a rooster, a duck and a sheep. Even Ambassador Benjamin Franklin, the American scientist, was lost for words. All the animals survived and this episode marked the stepping stone for aeronauts Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes, who entered the hall of fame by manning the first vol humain dans une montgolfière.

Two months later, Joseph Montgolfier took the plunge too and – at long last – flew for the first time aboard his and his brother’s invention over Lyon, with six other passengers, de Rozier included.

Today, ballooning is a much more scientific affair – and an addictive sport.

Hearty breakfast

My ballooning trip over the Ardèche started at 4.30am with a briefing about weather conditions and safety procedures, followed by a hearty breakfast one hour later in the company of fascinating aéronautes. I then assisted in every stage of the montgolfière installation and inflation and the trip into the ethereal skies was truly breathtaking.

The Ardèche, one of the eight départements forming the Rhône-Alpes region, is undeniably ‘the French Garden of Eden’ still untouched by mass tourism, bordered to the east by the length of the Rhône valley and to the west by the high plateaux of the Massif Central. As we glided gently through the air we almost touched the fluffy cotton wool-like clouds, and saw the patchwork of fields spread out below us in the distance. As elevation happened effortlessly, the full scope of the rich tapestry of life spread in front of our eyes: first the château Déomas, which belongs to the Mairie d’Annonay, a convenient site to host the balloon events, and then the Canson Paper factory, tucked in a meander of the River Deûme, home to the Montgolfier brothers.

Gradually the sun started shining on valleys and playing in the foliage of chestnut trees, the famed produce from Ardèche and before we knew it an hour had passed and it was time to descend. Pilot Maurice aided by trainee pilot Violaine achieved a magnificent soft landing in a freshly cut hayfield and we folded up the montgolfière with the help of the retrieving crew who had kept in touch by radio and were ready with the 4x4 and trailer to take us back to base.

Last but not least, I was given the traditional glass of bubbly to toast my baptême de l’air – virgin flight – while we exchanged our views on the ballooning experience. We had reached lunchtime and my head was full of the beautiful Ardèche landscapes painted in soft pastels at sunrise.

RÉGINE GODFREY

FLIGHT FACTS

How much does it cost?

Prices vary but usually range between €150 to €200 per person.

Morning or evening flight?

The first decision to make when booking a ballooning trip is to choose between a morning or evening flight. During daytime, the ground absorbs the sun’s rays and reflects them unequally, resulting in thermal currents that make it extremely difficult to control the balloon. It isn’t safe to fly during the daytime when different pockets of air are rising and falling, so this is why you are asked to fly during the first few hours after sunrise, or during the last few hours before sunset, when all winds have calmed down.

Weather

You can fly at all seasons, but unfavourable weather conditions often mean that you have to be patient and be prepared to re-schedule your flight.

Who can fly?

Children are usually welcome providing that they measure 1.1m. There are montgolfières adapted to the needs of people with reduced mobility.

What to wear

Wear comfortable and layered clothing – preferably cotton – and flat soled shoes. You might need to climb out of the basket into a muddy field. Very tall passengers may find a hat/cap useful because of the radiant heat from the burner.

Don’t forget your camera as there are amazing photo opportunities.

HOW TO GET THERE

Annonay is situated only 74 kms from Lyon and 108 kms from Grenoble, while Avignon is at 192 kms, Nîmes 230 kms and Geneva 222 kms.

Car hire is available from all these airports and the autoroute network heading towards Annonay is excellent.

By air: Ryanair flies to Grenoble airport, St Geoirs, and Nîmes-Arles-Camargue airport. Easyjet flies to Lyon St-Exupéry and Geneva. BA flies to Lyon, Flybe flies to Avignon-Caumont.

By rail: Fast TGVs such as Lille-Europe to Lyon for a 3.5-hour-journey and Lille-Avignon averaging 4.5 hours. Coach connections from the SNCF stations to Annonay.

By ferry: Cross the Channel for a leisurely drive throughout France, 8 hours / 833 kms, from Calais to Annonay.

RECONSTITUTION 4 JUIN 1783

Annonay, Place des Cordeliers, 2-3 June 2007

Every year, on the first weekend of June, a large hot air balloon gathering celebrates the anniversary of the Montgolfiers’ first balloon flight, with the Annonéens dressed in period costume. Besides the traditional re-enactment there will also be 30 balloons, kite-making, an aéroplume (indoor balloon for children) and parachutists. Also two new Montgolfières d’Annonay will be launched.

FOR A FLIGHT IN A MONTGOLFIÈRE

Association ‘Les Montgolfières d’Annonay’, Monsieur Roland de Montgolfier, tel: (Fr) 4 75 67 57 56, www.lesmontgolfieresdannonay.com

Many Montgolfier descendants are members, and you will have 9 montgolfières to choose from: Adélaïde, Axa, Canson 1, Canson 2, Crédit Agricole 5, 1783, Flipper, Maison Liberté, Vitogaz.

Franck Béjat, Aéronaute
Air Petit Prince
Le Petit Maillard
01400 Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne
Tel: (Fr) 4 74 55 07 51
www.airpetitprince.com
www.saint-exupery.org

Pilot Franck Béjat is passionate about montgolfières and about the French author/aviator St-Exupéry who disappeared during a mission flight in 1944. In 2000, he managed to convince the Président de la République Française and the French Parliament to alter the name of Lyon Airport into Lyon-St-Exupéry.

His four balloons bear Le Petit Prince image, symbolic of the character created by St-Exupéry. Three of his ballons can accommodate respectively 4, 6 and up to 12 guests – a great plus for family and friends who do not wish to be split up.

France Montgolfières

France Montgolfières Balloon Company is fully licensed to carry passengers by the Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC). The company flies on average 6,500 passengers a year from a range of locations in France including the Ardèche.

www.franceballoons.com
Tel: (Fr) 2 54 32 20 48

WHERE TO STAY

La Désirade
Maison d’hôtes de charme
07340 Saint-Désirat (Ardèche)
Tel: (Fr) 4 75 34 21 88
www.desirade-fr.com
Stunning Bourgeois house set 13 kilometres from Annonay amidst vineyards. Philippe and Muriel Meunier cook delicious evenings meals served in one of their salons revamped as a mini-auberge. (On reservation) Their beef is renowned throughout the county. Room for two people €49 and three-course dinner €18 per person.

Hotel Restaurant Chaleat Sapet
Place de la Faurie
07290 Satillieu
Tel: (Fr) 4 75 34 95 42
www.chaleatsapet.com
Only 13 kilometres from Annonay too, a typical Logis de France with an outdoor swimming pool. The locals flock for the authentic cuisine ardéchoise. Try the regional apéritif le castagnou, a blend of white wine and chestnut liqueur. Rooms for two people from €39.

Holiday rentals

A huge selection of small dwellings and large farmhouses in Ardèche.
www.clevacances.com

WHERE TO EAT

L’Épicurien
10 Place Grenette
07100 Annonay
Tel: (Fr) 4 75 33 60 48
Sets menus at €15. Perfect for wholesome cuisine familiale and the spécialités ardéchoises.

TO FIND OUT MORE

Office de Tourisme
Place des Cordeliers
07100 Annonay
Tel: (Fr) 4 75 33 24 51
www.ardeche-verte.com

MONDIAL AIR BALLOONS
Chambley, Meurthe-et-Moselle,
Lorraine
27 July – 5 August 2007
The biggest hot-air ballooning event in Europe with crews from 67 nations and the five continents. This year sees the tenth biennial event held on a former NATO air base where astronaut John Collins trained. Aline Dufour

Pilâtre de Rozier Organisation
6 place du Temple
57530 Courcelles-Chaussy
Tel: (Fr) 3 87 64 08 08
Email: adu@pilatre-de-rozier.com
www.pilatre-de-rozier.com