▁bal lo on ist , ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁small ▁unit ▁of ▁Royal ▁Engine ers ▁which ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Bal lo oning . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁At ▁W ool wich ▁Initial ly ▁the ▁School ▁was ▁based ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Ar sen al , ▁W ool wich . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁the ▁school ▁constructed ▁and ▁fle w ▁a ▁hydro gen - filled ▁bal lo on ▁of ▁ ▁capacity . ▁By ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁the ▁unit ▁had ▁ 5 ▁bal lo ons . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁military ▁bal lo on ▁training ▁and ▁demonstr ation ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁Ald ers hot . ▁After ▁a ▁trag ic ▁incident ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁Tem pler ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁development ▁of ▁bal lo ons ▁rather ▁than ▁making ▁asc ents ▁himself . ▁ ▁At ▁Ch ath am ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁the ▁School ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Military ▁Engineering ▁at ▁Ch ath am ▁where ▁they ▁discovered ▁that ▁Gold be ater ' s ▁skin ▁was ▁superior ▁bal lo on ▁fabric ▁than ▁the ▁material ▁they ▁had ▁used ▁previously ▁– ▁in ▁particular ▁it ▁was ▁easier ▁to ▁st ow ▁for ▁transport . ▁Tem pler ▁also ▁took ▁out ▁a ▁pat ent ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁un mann ed ▁bal lo ons ▁for ▁“ bal lo on ▁phot ography ” ▁of ▁the ▁ground ▁below . ▁ ▁At ▁Ald ers hot ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁the ▁School ▁moved ▁to ▁Ald ers hot ▁where ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Engine