Gas ballooning has a history dating back to the "Charliere" in Paris in 1783. The first gas flight took place the same year the Mongolfier Brothers discovered that hot air also rises.
In 1785, it has been told that the first American to fly in a gas balloon was Dr. John Jefferies, he crossed the English Channel with Jean Pierre Blanchard. John Pierre later flew near Washington, DC in 1793 as George Washington looked on.
During the Civil War, gas balloons were used for observation and the Union had seven balloons in it's fleet.
In the midwest, the first recorded gas balloon flight from St. Louis, was in 1830 and around 1859, John Wise flew from St. Louis to Lake Ontario, over 1,200.00 miles. The St. Louis World's Fair hosted several airship races and balloon ascensions. In 1996, the National Gas Balloon Race was the first gas competition to be held in St. Louis since 1909.

On September 30, 1906 an American Newspaper owner James Gordon Bennett, sponsored the first Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race. Sixteen Balloons took off from Paris, the winner, Frank P. Lahm, an American, landed 22 hours later near Whitby, England. The Gordon Bennet was called off during the wars and revived in 1979.

2005 Gordon Bennett          2005 America's Challenge         Albuquerque Gas Ballooning Association

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2005 Coupe de Gordon Bennett & America's Challenge Gas Ballloon Race	America's Challenge Launch - 2000	CargoLifter sponsors Jazz Bird 2000
America's Challenge Launch - 1997	America's Challenge Launch - 1998
Warsteiner Over Texas - 1999 Gordon Bennett	Flying Over Texas - 1999 Gordon Bennett
America's Challenge - 1998	Team USA - ...