Airopaidia : Containing the narrative of a balloon excursion from Chester, the eighth of September, 1785, taken from minutes made during the voyage; hints on the improvement of balloons ... To which is subjoined, mensuration of heights by the barometer, made plain; with extensive tables. The whole serving as an introduction to aërial navigation.

The listener is taken on an unforgettable September morning in 1785, when a daring ascent lifted a balloon from the fields outside Chester. The author’s meticulous journal reads like a traveler’s log, noting the crisp climb, the changing hues of the sky, and the startling view of the city framed by a sea of white clouds. Accompanying the narration are finely engraved plates—one showing a circular panorama from the balloon’s highest point, another mapping the route between Chester and Warrington, and a third capturing the gentle slope of Helsby Hill beneath the craft.

Beyond the romance of flight, the work doubles as a practical handbook for early aeronauts. It offers clear instructions on using steam to inflate the envelope, tricks for avoiding unwanted landings over water, and a series of barometric tables that translate pressure readings into altitude. With philosophical asides on the nature of the atmosphere, the volume serves as both a vivid adventure and a foundational guide to aerial navigation.