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Pierre Testu-Brissy (or possibly Tessu-Brissy) (1770? – 1829) was a pioneering
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
balloonist In aeronautics, a balloon is an unpowered aerostat, which remains aloft or floats due to its buoyancy. A balloon may be free, moving with the wind, or tethered to a fixed point. It is distinct from an airship, which is a powered aerostat tha ...
who achieved fame for making flights astride his
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million ...
.Internet Archive.org. Smithsonian Collection. ''Histoire des ballons et des aéronautes célèbres'', by Tissandier, Gaston, Published 1887, Testu Brissy :- Pages 289, 290, 294, 300.
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Ballooning career

Testu-Brissy made his first balloon ascent in 1785 or 1786, and the first night ascent on 11 May or 18 June 1786 in a
hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...
balloon. He subsequently undertook more than 50 flights in his lifetime.Ballooning History, Who's Who.
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Gaston Tissandier Gaston Tissandier (November 21, 1843 – August 30, 1899) was a French chemist, meteorologist, aviator, and editor. He escaped besieged Paris by balloon in September 1870. He founded and edited the scientific magazine ''La Nature'' and wrote se ...
's ''Histoire des ballons et des aéronautes célèbres'' (''History of famous balloons and aeronauts'') (published in 1887) described Testu-Brissy's earliest ballooning thus : * ''During the last years of the eighteenth century, besides the military applications by men of heart and patriotism, balloons continued to contribute to national and military festivals. Three years before the
Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
, Testu-Brissy, a new aeronaut, gave himself the title of physicist and announced plans for a twenty-four hour balloon flight, using a hydrogen balloon with
oars An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Rowers grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles is that oars are used exclusively for rowing. In rowing the oar is connect ...
similar to
Jean-Pierre Blanchard Jean-Pierre rançoisBlanchard (4 July 1753 – 7 March 1809) was a French inventor, best known as a pioneer of gas balloon flight, who distinguished himself in the conquest of the air in a balloon, in particular the first crossing of the Engli ...
.''Internet Archive.org. Smithsonian Collection. ''Histoire des ballons et des aéronautes célèbres'', by Tissandier, Gaston, Published 1887, Testu Brissy :- Pages 289
/ref> * ''The first ascent by Testu-Brissy took place on June 18, 1786, at 4.50 pm, from the
Jardin du Luxembourg The Jardin du Luxembourg (), known in English as the Luxembourg Garden, colloquially referred to as the Jardin du Sénat (Senate Garden), is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. Creation of the garden began in 1612 when Marie de ...
to the plain of
Montmorency, Val-d'Oise Montmorency () is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Montmorency was the fief of the Montmorency family, one of the oldest and most distinguished families of the French nobility. It is n ...
(approximately north). He then set off again and landed around 8 pm between
Écouen Écouen () is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department, in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The 19th-century poet and playwright Pierre-Joseph Charrin (1784–1863) died in Écouen. The artist Louis ...
and Wariville (near
Litz, Oise Litz is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalit ...
circa north).''Internet Archive.org. Smithsonian Collection. ''Histoire des ballons et des aéronautes célèbres'', by Tissandier, Gaston, Published 1887, Testu Brissy :- Pages 290
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Scientific experimentation

On 18 June 1786 he flew for 11 hours and made the first electrical observations as he ascended into thunderclouds. He stated that he drew remarkable discharges from the clouds by means of an iron rod carried in the basket. He also experienced Saint Elmo's Fire, a phenomenon in which luminous
plasma Plasma or plasm may refer to: Science * Plasma (physics), one of the four fundamental states of matter * Plasma (mineral), a green translucent silica mineral * Quark–gluon plasma, a state of matter in quantum chromodynamics Biology * Blood plas ...
is created by a
corona discharge A corona discharge is an electrical discharge caused by the ionization of a fluid such as air surrounding a conductor carrying a high voltage. It represents a local region where the air (or other fluid) has undergone electrical breakdown ...
from a rod-like object in an atmospheric electric field.''Airships Past and Present'' by A Hilderbrandt. 1908. pp239 Scientific Ballooning.
/ref>


Damage compensation

In 1786 Testu-Brissy was the first man who was called upon to pay damages for crops which had been trampled (mostly) by the rustics who flocked to see him.''Airships Past and Present'' by A Hilderbrandt. 1908. Scientific Ballooning.
Airships Past and Present by A Hilderbrandt. 1908. pp184 Scientific Ballooning.
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Equestrian ballooning

On 15 October 1798 in Paris, Testu-Brissy completed the first balloon flight on horseback, ascending from Bellevue, Meudon (
Château de Bellevue The Château de Bellevue () was a small château built for Madame de Pompadour in 1750. It was constructed on a broad plateau in Meudon, above a slope overlooking the Seine to the east, but was demolished in 1823 and little remains. History ...
). The horse, which had been trained to stand perfectly still regardless of surrounding activities, endured bleeding from its nose and ears due to the altitude.
Gaston Tissandier Gaston Tissandier (November 21, 1843 – August 30, 1899) was a French chemist, meteorologist, aviator, and editor. He escaped besieged Paris by balloon in September 1870. He founded and edited the scientific magazine ''La Nature'' and wrote se ...
's ''Histoire des ballons et des aéronautes célèbres'' (''History of famous balloons and aeronauts'') described Testu-Brissy's equestrian ballooning thus : * ''During the first days of the revolutionary
Consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth count ...
, balloon ascents regained some favour with the public. Thus on 26
Vendémiaire Vendémiaire () was the first month in the French Republican calendar. The month was named after the Occitan word ''vendemiaire'' (grape harvester). Vendémiaire was the first month of the autumn quarter (''mois d'automne''). It started on the ...
of year VII (in the French Republican calendar : Autumn, 26 Grape harvest, equivalent to October 17th, 1798) Testu-Brissy performed an equestrian balloon ascent which has remained famous. He had built an elongated balloon to carry a large rectangular wooden platform where he sat astride his horse without it being tethered. Testu-Brissy ascended at Bellevue; but the experiment did not meet his expectations, so he tried again a few days later and succeeded beyond expectations. He landed on the plain of
Nanterre Nanterre (, ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807. The eastern part of Nanterre, bordering ...
and said that the horse had lost blood through its nostrils and ears.''Internet Archive.org. Smithsonian Collection. ''Histoire des ballons et des aéronautes célèbres'', by Tissandier, Gaston, Published 1887, Testu Brissy :- Pages 294
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Caveat - Contradictory dates

This article currently shows contradictions between sources regarding dates. * Tetsu-Brissy's first flight is loosely reported by some sources as 1785 (First B-Ascent 1785; First B-Solo 18 Sep.1791 from Paris) or June 18, 1786, at 4.50 pm, from the
Jardin du Luxembourg The Jardin du Luxembourg (), known in English as the Luxembourg Garden, colloquially referred to as the Jardin du Sénat (Senate Garden), is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. Creation of the garden began in 1612 when Marie de ...
to the plain of
Montmorency, Val-d'Oise Montmorency () is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Montmorency was the fief of the Montmorency family, one of the oldest and most distinguished families of the French nobility. It is n ...
. * Tetsu-Brissy's 11 hour flight (night flight?) is reported by some sources as 11 May or 18 June 1786 from Paris. * Tetsu-Brissy's equestrian stunt flight is loosely reported by some sources as 1786 (L'ascension de Cessu-Brissy à Limoges en 178
Smithsonian image
, or 1787 (Image on French plate from the 1800s), or 15 Oct.1798 or October 17, 1798 (26 Vendémiaire of year VII).


See also

*
History of ballooning The history of ballooning, both with hot air and gas, spans many centuries. It includes many firsts, including the first human flight, first flight across the English Channel, first flight in North America, and first aircraft related disaster ...
*
List of firsts in aviation This is a list of firsts in aviation. For a comprehensive list of women's records, see Women in aviation. First person to fly The first flight (including gliding) by a person is unknown. Several have been suggested. * In 559 A.D., several pri ...
*
Timeline of aviation - 18th century A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representin ...
*
Jean-Pierre Blanchard Jean-Pierre rançoisBlanchard (4 July 1753 – 7 March 1809) was a French inventor, best known as a pioneer of gas balloon flight, who distinguished himself in the conquest of the air in a balloon, in particular the first crossing of the Engli ...
*
Jacques Charles Jacques Alexandre César Charles (November 12, 1746 – April 7, 1823) was a French inventor, scientist, mathematician, and balloonist. Charles wrote almost nothing about mathematics, and most of what has been credited to him was due to mistaking ...
*
André-Jacques Garnerin André-Jacques Garnerin (31 January 176918 August 1823) was a French balloonist and the inventor of the frameless parachute. He was appointed Official Aeronaut of France. Biography Garnerin was born in Paris. He was captured by British tr ...
*
Citoyenne Henri Citoyenne Henri (often called Citizen Henry in English) was a woman who accompanied André-Jacques Garnerin on a trip by balloon on 8 July 1798 from the Parc Monceau in Paris. She was credited as the first woman "who ever had the courage to trust ...
* Nicolas-Louis Robert see (
Les Frères Robert Les Frères Robert were two French brothers. Anne-Jean Robert (1758–1820) and Nicolas-Louis Robert (1760–1820) were the engineers who built the world's first hydrogen balloon for professor Jacques Charles, which flew from central Paris on ...
) *
Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier () was a French chemistry and physics teacher, and one of the first pioneers of aviation. He made the first manned free balloon flight with François Laurent d'Arlandes on 21 November 1783, in a Montgolfier b ...
, the first manned balloon flight using a
Montgolfier The Montgolfier brothers – Joseph-Michel Montgolfier (; 26 August 1740 – 26 June 1810) and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier (; 6 January 1745 – 2 August 1799) – were aviation pioneers, balloonists and paper manufacturers from the commune A ...
hot-air balloon


Notes


References


Ballooning History



''Airships Past and Present'' by A Hilderbrandt. 1908. Scientific Ballooning.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Testu-Brissy, Pierre French balloonists 1770 births 1829 deaths