The Balloon Flight, by Lucy Rishton

Activity 1’s enhanced activity asks young minds to pick one of the 10 suggested events and write an article or story based on it.

Lucy has written a wonderful short story based on the first ever Balloon Flight

One extraordinary day, a teacher and an army officer flew in a large, blue balloon over the huge country, France. They had very normal lives until this happened. As they took their first step on top of the circular bottom of the balloon their hearts began to pound. Their names were also French, one called Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and the other is named Marquis Francois Laurent d’Arlandes. They were just about to set off 3…..2…1 blast off they were 3,000 feet up in the illuminous sky. Not a cloud in site. They looked down and all the humans, they were all as small as ants. The howling wind was filling the passengers ears and blowing off the top hats. The balloon flight was only 25 minutes but probably the best minutes of their lives. They travelled around the western outskirts of Paris. They had a gigantic smile on their faces. The balloon was covered in patterns, which you may see in a church. There was crimson red ribbon hung round the sides and a picture of a golden duck almost as if it had been printed on the balloon. They were gradually going down as they eventually touched the concrete floor. They swiftly opened the door and stepped out. They both look up into the sky. Both of them had an image of themselves doing this again.