Olympic torch ignites Paris skies with historic balloon debut
2:27 PM EDT, July 27, 2024
The Olympic torch was lit in Paris. The ceremony was organized outside of a stadium for the first time in history. Also, for the first time, the Olympic symbol was a balloon floating over the city. The French referred to this as a groundbreaking moment in the history of aviation. Their torch is pioneering, too—it "burns" without fire.
The Olympic torch is burning in Jardin des Tuileries, precisely where the first experimental balloon flights took place. The French were aviation pioneers long before the historic flight of the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903.
On June 5, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne, launched a balloon filled with hot air, known as the montgolfière. The balloon had a diameter of about 39 feet. However, it was an unmanned flight. On September 19 of the same year, the Montgolfier brothers conducted the first manned flight, although the crew was unusual—a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. The balloon rose to an altitude of 5,200 to 9,800 feet and, in 10 minutes, covered about 1.2 miles.
First balloon flights
Animals were the first to be sent up because, in the 18th century, it was feared that a human might not survive at such heights. The sheep, duck, and rooster safely returned to the ground. Humans flew in a balloon for the first time on November 21, 1783. The crew, consisting of Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d’Arlandes, traveled a distance of 5.6 miles at an altitude of 3,300 feet in about 25 minutes.
Between those flights, also in Paris, on August 27, 1783, Prof. Jacques Alexandre César Charles demonstrated another balloon with a diameter of about 13 feet, coated with rubberized fabric and filled not with hot air but with the lighter-than-air hydrogen.
Balloons filled with hot air still play a role today. They are most commonly associated with sightseeing flights or sports competitions. However, they are also used for meteorological measurements and reconnaissance observations. Furthermore, they paved the way for airships.
The Olympic torch in Paris: What do we know about it?
The unusual Olympic torch in Paris caused some consternation. There were even questions about whether it would float over Paris for the entire duration of the sports competitions. It turns out that was not the organizers' intention.
The "actual" part of the Olympic torch is a cauldron with a ring of fire 23 feet in diameter, suspended under the balloon. The entire structure is 98 feet tall. Each day of the Olympics, after sunset, it will rise to 197 feet and hover above Paris until 2 AM, all while being tethered to the ground.
The balloon itself is not a traditional "bag" filled with hot air, nor is the Olympic flame traditional. The flame of the Olympic torch in Paris is 100% electric. The ring creates a cloud of water aerosol, illuminated to a "fiery" color by 40 LED spotlights. This innovation is backed by the French energy giant EDF.
This unusual construction will be available for close viewing during the Olympics until August 10. After prior registration, the public is offered 15-minute slots on the Paris 2024 website. The "pass" to the heart of the Tuileries Gardens will be a QR code received after registration.
