Blanchard, Jean-Pierre (1753-1809), a French aviation pioneer, made the first balloon flight across the English Channel in 1785 with John Jeffries, an American physician. He also made the first balloon voyage in the United States in 1793. Blanchard had proposed heavier-than-air machines in 1781. But as soon as the Montgolfiers and Pilatre de Rozier made successful balloon flights, Blanchard became an ardent balloonist. He made 60 ascents, a record that stood for about 50 years. He was born on July 4, 1753, in Les Audelys, France. He died on March 7, 1809.
