Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Balloon flights in India ...contd

Next balloon flight activity was in 1970 when the Ballooning Club of India was inaugurated on 23rd November, 1970 by American astronaut Mr. Neil Armstrong, in Delhi. A Balloon flight in a hydrogen gas balloon ‘Nimbus’ piloted by the Dutch balloonists Jan Boesman and Nini Boseman with Mr. Vishwa Bandhu Gupta as the sole passenger, took off from Safdarganj Airport and landed at Kalazafargarh village on the outskirts of Delhi .

The flight was organised by the Aero Club of India to commemorate the centenary of the first balloon mail flight of the world in 1870 in Paris, France. Posts and Telegraph Department of India provided a pictorial cancellation to commemorate the occasion. Covers flown in the balloon bear the postmark of 21st November, 1970 and a special cachet in green showing actual date of the balloon flight on 23rd November, 1970.