The first trip by air over a longer distance took place on January the 7th, 1875.
Early that morning, a young Frenchman and an American prepared themselves and their balloon for the trip. They wanted to 【B1】 the English Channel from Dover to the French side. The Channel is about forty kilometers at this 【B2】 . Nobody had ever traveled so 【B3】 in a balloon before. A crowd of people had 【B4】 to watch the start. They were both rather 【B5】 of the excited people. 【B6】 those days, crowds often became angry when they were 【B7】 by the balloons. If something went 【B8】 , and the balloon did not 【B9】 into the sky, they might 【B10】 it into pieces. However, when the balloon was started, the crowd 【B11】 .
The huge green 【B12】 yellow balloon floated high into the cold 【B13】 sky. The wind began to 【B14】 it towards the French coast. At 【B15】 . everything went well. But later, the balloon suddenly began to 【B16】 towards the water. The two men did everything they could to lighten the 【B17】 . They 【B18】 all sorts of things into the sea. But 【B19】 the balloon continued to sink. Soon the waves were almost 【B20】 the basket in which the two men were traveling. They began to throw off their clothes in order to make the balloon lighter. Then, the balloon suddenly began to rise again. Two hours later they reached the French coast, thus making a world record.