Charles Green

author

Charles Green

1774–1857

A daring British balloonist, he helped turn early ballooning from spectacle into serious aerial experiment. His flights with coal-gas balloons made him one of the best-known aeronauts of the 19th century.

1 Audiobook

A Letter to the Rev. C. N. Wodehouse, Canon of Norwich; occasioned by his late pamphlet, entitled "Subscription the Disgrace of the English Church"

A Letter to the Rev. C. N. Wodehouse, Canon of Norwich; occasioned by his late pamphlet, entitled "Subscription the Disgrace of the English Church"

by Charles Green

About the author

Charles Green was an English balloonist born in London on January 31, 1785. He is best remembered for popularizing the use of coal gas in balloons, which was cheaper and more practical than hydrogen and helped make balloon travel more feasible.

Green made his first ascent in 1821 and went on to become the most famous British balloonist of his era. Over the course of his career he made hundreds of ascents, and his name became closely linked with the growth of ballooning as both public entertainment and real technical experimentation.

His most celebrated journey came in 1836, when he flew from London to Weilburg in Germany, setting a major long-distance record. That achievement secured his place in aviation history as one of the great pioneers of lighter-than-air flight.