To break airships down to basics, they are really just controllable balloons. All it takes to fly is a large bag made from light fabric and a fire – the two things needed for a basic hot air balloon. This blog is mainly about controllable craft, but there is really no better place to begin than with the balloons.

There are some things that indicate that man has been airborne for longer than is generally conceived. Apparently, it’s been suggested that the awesome Nazca Lines in Peru – dating back approximately 1500 years – could not have been created without the ability to gain significant altitude. The immense and carefully drawn geometric figures are up to 270 meters long, and almost go unnoticed from ground level. This gave Jim Woodman the idea that pre-Inca Peruvians might have used hot-air balloons to plan their wonder. In 1975, he tested this idea with master balloonist Julian Nott, and together they managed to create a fully workable balloon using only materials and techniques available to the pre-Incan era, resulting in the funny-looking balloon in this image. Their success proved that not only the pre-Incans, but just about every civilization with access to a loom and fire, could have flown. You can read about their endeavor here.