Northern Maine has a distinct legacy in the history of ballooning. Ballooning itself, the concept of making an object float on air by means of hot air, was discussed as early as the 11th century.
However, it wasn’t until 1783 that the Montgolfier brothers of France invented the hot air balloon, making hot air ballooning the oldest successful flight technology that can carry humans.
The French are also credited with the first military use of aircraft during the French Revolutionary War. In 1794, they used a tethered hydrogen balloon to observe the movements of the Austrian Army during the Battle of Fleurus. On American soil, hot air balloons were used during the American Civil War. The balloons were often used to view the adversary’s positions on the fields.
Central Aroostook County has played and continues to play an active role in the history of ballooning. At 8:43 p.m. EDT on Aug. 11, 1978, the Double Eagle II, piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, lifted off from Merle Sprague’s field on the Spragueville Road in Presque Isle. One hundred thirty-seven hours and 6 minutes later, the Double Eagle II landed in Miserey, France, at 7:49 p.m. Western Europe Summer Time on Aug. 17, 1978, making it the first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, it held the long distance record (3,107.61 miles) until 2015.
The Double Eagle II was the 14th known flight attempt to cross the Atlantic. Some of the adventurers have never been found. Five are known dead, including those on the two flights never found.
The Double Eagle crew landed in a field of barley owned by Roger and Rachel Coquerel in Miserey, about 60 miles northwest of Paris. The logs and charts were stolen by souvenir hunters. The gondola was later acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. A monument to the Double Eagle can be found on the Spragueville Road.
The first solo trans-Atlantic flight in a hot air balloon took place in 1984. The pilot, Joseph William Kittinger, flew 3,535 miles in his helium-filled balloon from Caribou, Maine, to Savona, Italy.
Kittinger was a former pilot and career military officer. He personally had three claims to fame: his participation in Project Man High, his participation in Project Excelsior, and for piloting the first transatlantic hot air balloon flight in the balloon “Rosie O’Grady’s Balloon of Peace.” There is a monument to the Rosie O’Grady in Caribou on Route 164 behind Keaton’s Locksmith.
On Sept. 12, 2013, Jonathan Trappe attempted to fly from Caribou across the Atlantic with a cluster of 370 helium-filled balloons. Unfortunately, Trappe had to abort the flight about 12 hours and 470 miles into the journey due to a technical issue. He landed in Newfoundland.
In 2004, what is now known as the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest had its origins as part of another event. The name was changed to the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest in 2006. This year, the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest will be held from Aug. 26 to 29. For more information, visit www.combf.org.
Kimberly R. Smith is the secretary/treasurer of the Presque Isle Historical Society.
