Sophie Blanchard Takes to the Skies
History's Heroes
BBC
4.8 • 824 Ratings
🗓️ 24 February 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 19th Century France, a young woman escapes a life of drudgery, faces her fears and finds worldwide fame as an aeronaut. Sophie Blanchard performs for Napoleon and eventually becomes the official aeronaut of the Restoration. But as her hot air balloon shows become more and more ambitious, can she keep cheating death?
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios production.
Producer: Lorna Reader Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The 6th of July 1819, Paris. |
| 0:04.7 | A warm, overcast summer evening in the Jardin de Tivoli. |
| 0:08.8 | Which were pleasure gardens. |
| 0:10.0 | It was sort of an outdoor venue for the big entertainments of the time. |
| 0:15.0 | It was all about spectacle. |
| 0:17.1 | There were thousands and thousands of people there just to see this extraordinary show. |
| 0:22.7 | Sophie Blanchard appeared in a white dress, hat and feathers. |
| 0:27.5 | She climbed into the doll-sized gondola basket of a silk hot air balloon. |
| 0:32.7 | The basket was garlanded with fireworks. |
| 0:35.7 | The idea was that she would go up into the night sky |
| 0:39.1 | and light fireworks, and these would rain down through the sky. |
| 0:43.5 | It would be a fabulous spectacle. |
| 0:45.7 | Madame Blanchard secured herself into position with ropes. |
| 0:49.7 | Press reports said she had bird-like features, |
| 0:53.1 | and yet she was small, but she was a tough cookie. |
| 0:57.6 | Darkness fell. At half past ten a cannon fired. Its sound echoed across the gardens. Lead pipes |
| 1:05.9 | channeled gas into the balloon. The music from the orchestra swelled. Madame Blanchard waved to the crowd. |
| 1:13.6 | She knew what she was doing, you know, this was her 67th ascent. It's not like she was a novice. |
| 1:19.6 | And she went up into the air. Music filled the Paris night. Everyone was a gog to see the show. |
| 1:25.6 | The Parisian crowd applauded. |
| 1:28.9 | But as Madame Blanchard's balloon rose slowly into the night sky, |
| 1:33.1 | she felt wind whip past her. |
... |
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