As Yogi Berra, the famous baseball figure has said, it's DeJa vu all over again. Sometimes old ideas became fashionable again and this is exactly what is happening. It all started with the hot air balloon which was invented by the Montgolfer brothers in France. The first experiment with such a balloon was with a miniature that sailed off out of control in 1782. It was shortly after the invention of the hot air balloon that hydrogen balloons came into use. Professor Jacques Charles actually flew one in 1783. This was the birth of the modern day balloon, although hot air balloons are still used for recreational flights and can be seen soaring in the skies over the whole country if the weather is nice. Each type of balloon has a unique advantage over the other. Hydrogen balloons can fly long distances, but hot air balloons can rise up more quickly, so it was only natural that someone would invent a hybrid and that person was Pilatre de Rozier in 1785. Unfortunately for him his balloon exploded while he was attempting to cross the English Channel. It wasn't until the 1980s that this type of balloon was perfected. Its very dangerous to have an open flame on a hydrogen balloon or even near it. The first wholesale use of balloons by the military took place in the American Civil War, although they were used sparsely in military actions before that.

There are some events related to flight that were supposed to have taken place at very early times:
In 852 it is said that Amen Fiman jumped off a tower with a wing like cloak and lived. It acted as a parachute
In 1282 Marco Polo reported that the Chinese had manned kites.
In 1496 Giambattista Danti is said to have flown from a tower with an unknown type of craft.
In 1678 it was said that Jacob Besnier flew a sort of airplane that had flapping wings. He was a French locksmith.
In 1797 Andre Jacques Garnerin jumped with a parachute made of silk, from a height of 3200 feet and landed safely. His wife was the first female to parachute.
In 1836 a balloon filled with coal gas was flown.
In 1839 a balloon flight reaches the altitude of 7900 meters (1 meter = 39.5 inches, the flight reached an altitude of 4.925 miles.
In 1842 William Samuel Henson draws plans for a steam powered airplane, but is laughed at when he proposes to create an airline. The next year he incorporates a business which is the first air transport company, it is named Aerial Transit Company. He doesn't have a plane yet.
In 1848 Henson and Stringfellow build a model of their steam powered plane and it flies 40 meters, but crashes into a wall. This is the first time a heavier than air craft is know to have flown. It had a wingspan of 10 feet.
In 1852 Henri Giffard flies 27 km in a steam powered dirigible and forms the Societies Aerostat de France.

In 1853 Sir George Cayley has his coachman fly a glider and it travels 423 feet.
In 1872 Paul Haenlein tests the first airship with a gasoline engine, but had to discontinue testing because of lack of funds.
In 1877 the first model of a steam driven helicopter, invented by Enrico Forlanini, flies.
In 1883 ailerons appear on the third glider built by John J. Montgomery.
In 1884 we have a major break through when the first controllable flight is made in a French dirigible named La France.
In 1888 a gasoline powered dirigible with engines from Gottlieb Daimler is flown.
In 1890 supposedly Clement Ader flew an airplane named the Eole in uncontrolled flight for 50 meters.

Adler Avion 3
Photo Source: Public Domain In U.S.

In 1892 Ader flew another plane, the Avion II, in uncontrolled flight for 200 meters. He was then commissioned to build a bomber by the French military. This was a little premature I would say.
In 1894 an airship reaches the altitude of 9,155 meters, this is about 5.70 miles high.
In 1897 the first flight is made in a rigid airship by Ernst Jagels.
In 1899 a claim is made by Gustave Whitehead that he flew a steam powered aircraft over 500 meters with a passengers onboard.

Today there has been a resurgence of interest in airships, as a matter of fact the U.S. Army has purchased 16 17M Tactical Aerostat Systems. These are essentially surveillance blimps that are going to be deployed in Iraq. They will be sent up 1,000 feet and can stay there for over a week and can also provide communications. According to Inside Defense, a 90-day Air Force study has concluded that there would be "military utility" in putting blimps, balloons, and drones in near space -- between 65,000 and 350,000 above sea level." The U.S. Air Force is getting very interested in near space blimps. These blimps will be used as high up as 350,000 feet. That is over 66 miles in altitude. They will be able to function as a satellite from that distance. It is thought that a recent Boeing contract will include some sort of blimp construction. The Walrus heavy lift blimp is capable of lifting 1-2 million pounds and is being funded. The military is very anxious to use this as a substitute for sealift.

So as you can see, we are getting back into the blimp and dirigible age.

Here are a few other interesting photos:

Left: Airplanes tests by aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley
Right: Samuel Pierpont Langley's Workshop
Photo Source: Public Domain In U.S.