Welcome to Calm History. I'm Harris, and this podcast is my quirky mix of education with sedation.

So go ahead, lean back, put up your feet, and settle into my time machine of tranquility.

I hope this episode distracts and relaxes your overactive brain squirrels.

In archive episode number 31, I covered the history of balloon flight. Well, now you get to hear the

actual experiences of Gertrude Bacon, one of the early pioneers of balloon flight. You'll find the

stories of her flights in this episode to be relaxing and inspirational, but also funny

and scary at times. In the near future, I'll stitch together both of these episodes about

balloon flight into a one-hour extended bonus episode for my SOC Plus members, so stay tuned

for that.

But for now, the adventurous balloon flights of Gertrude Bacon.

You're about to hear the curious details of two balloon flights made by Gertrude Bacon.

Her first balloon journey is a relaxing one.

It's almost a guided imagery session.

You'll be able to visualize floating over the towns and cities of England

as you slowly drift off to sleep. If you're still awake for the second balloon adventure,

then be prepared for a nail-biting adventure that will be sure to distract your squirrels.

Don't worry though.

No one dies, but there will be panic in the skies and one hot mess of a landing.

But let me start with, who the heck is Gertrude Bacon?

Well, she wasn't the first woman to ride in a balloon.

That occurred in 1784 by the French woman, Elizabeth Sibble.

Instead, Gertrude Bacon would be the first British woman to fly

...