The French Aerostatic Corps or Company of Aeronauts was the world's first balloon unit, founded in 1794 to use balloons, primarily for reconnaissance.
Aerostatic Corps balloon during the Battle of Fleurus
Coutelle in 1794.
The corps transporting the balloon to Fleurus.
Observations by the second company at the Battle of Mainz
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 that can propel itself through the air in a controlled manner.
A hot air balloon in flight
In 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones achieved the first non-stop balloon circumnavigation in Breitling Orbiter 3.
"Aerostation out at Elbows, or The Itinerant Aeronaut" print illustration and poem (1785)
Hot air balloons, San Diego