The Aeronauts

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1. #001

   In 1785, Jean-Pierre Blanchard demonstrated the use of a parachute as a means of safely descending from a hot air balloon. Blanchard's first parachute demonstrations were made with a dog as passenger, and later, in 1793, he claimed to have had the chance to try it himself when his hot air balloon burst and he descended by parachute. Jean-Pierre died in 1809 from injuries sustained after falling from his balloon following a heart attack. His wife Sophie continued ballooning on her own after his death. Sophie Blanchard was known for dressing distinctively so she could be seen from a distance, performing parachute demonstrations, and specializing in night ascents and fireworks displays. On 6 July 1819, her hydrogen-filled balloon caught fire and struck the roofs of the Rue de Provence; Blanchard fell to the streets below and died. She was buried in Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Her still-standing tombstone was paid for with money collected from the French public and features a sculpture of a burning balloon along with the inscription "Victime de son Art et de son Intrepidite" (Victim of her Art and her Intrepidity).

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2. #002

   James Glaisher was a real English meteorologist remembered for his pioneering work as a balloonist. Between 1862 and 1866 he made numerous ascents to measure the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere at the highest levels. Together with his co-pilot Henry Tracey Coxwell, he broke the world altitude record on 5 September 1862. Coxwell was cut from the film and replaced by the fictional Amelia Wren. The character of Wren draws inspiration from various real women, most notably the French aeronaut Sophie Blanchard, the first woman to work as a professional balloonist, between 1804 and her death in 1819.

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3. #003

   In the film, the flight takes place in real time.

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4. #004

   Eddie Redmayne was injured while filming a scene involving the hot air balloon and severely sprained his ankle. He had to use crutches and a cast for several days.

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5. #005

   Amelia is accurately shown with unshaven underarms, a rare sight for the period (women did not really begin shaving until the 1910s).

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6. #006

   The gas balloon was actually launched not from London as shown in the film, but from Wolverhampton in the interior. This was because of the fear that if they set off toward London they might drift off course and come down in the river.

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7. #007

   A report in The Daily Telegraph quotes Keith Moore, Library Director of the Royal Society, as saying: "It is a great shame that Henry [Coxwell] is not portrayed, given that he performed very well and saved the life of a leading scientist."

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8. #008

   Aircraft often fly at an altitude of 36,000 ft. During the day, stars cannot be seen at that altitude. The film takes considerable liberties with scientific facts, such as understating the severity of hypoxia and the freezing temperatures at that altitude (the temperature would be around -70F). This is unfortunate, among other things, in a film about the advancement of so-called science.

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9. #009

   Tom Courtenay is an inspired choice to play Eddie Redmayne's father. In the 1960s, Tom was an unusual leading man with an interesting, intense facial structure and expressions, tall and slender; much like Redmayne, he could be a character actor (or part of an ensemble) even in leading roles: both always brought something unique to every role. Eddie won an Oscar while Tom was nominated twice.

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10. #010

    Writer, producer and director Tom Harper, cinematographer George Steel and editor Mark Eckersley all worked on the BBC's Peaky Blinders (2013).

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