Fr. 'Piloted Balloon'.  The term is used particularly for letters dispatched by balloon during the Siege of Paris in 1870.

Balloon Post

In 1877 Professor Archer King made a balloon trip in his 'Buffalo' gasbag from Nashville, Tennessee, to Galatin, about 26 miles, and carried mail franked with semi-official 'Balloon Postage' stamp valued at five cents and printed in blue.  The first recorded G.B. post by balloon was the Daily Graphic attempt 14-25 October 1907.  The balloon left the Crystal Palace, London, and was vacated over Sweden.  The mail was recovered near Tosse, from where it was posted.
 
 

- R. J. Sutton 6th edition revised by K. W. Anthony
The Stamp Collector's Encyclopaedia

Published 1966

Posted March 20, 2000

Editor's Note: More about these later.