Jacques Montgolfier (1745-1799). 1867 illustration of the French co-inventor of the hot air balloon Jacques-Etienne de Montgolfier. Along with his brother, Joseph, Jacques pioneered aeronautics in the eighteenth century. In 1782 the brothers discovered that heated air collected inside a lightweight paper or fabric bag caused the bag to rise into the air. The first manned balloon flight took place in Paris, France, in 1783 in a balloon designed by the brothers. The Montgolfier design was incorporated in larger balloons that opened the way to exploration of the upper atmosphere.