Jean-Pierre Blanchard was quick to follow suit and on the 30th November 1784, along with an American physician, named Dr. John Jeffries, he launched his first balloon flight from Rhedarium Gardens, London, finally landing on the banks of the Thames. Just a few weeks later the two teamed up once again and on the 7th January 1785 they became the first men to fly across the English Channel, carrying with them the very first airmail letter!

Ballooning, however, was not without its dangers. During July of the same year, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier attempted to cross the Channel in a hybrid gas/hot-air balloon, along with a passenger named Romain. The flight became the first aviation accident when a fire caused the hydrogen to explode, killing both men.

Perhaps because of this, Blanchard began to experiment with the idea of a parachute, and later that same year demonstrated his idea by dropping a basket carrying a small animal. The basket, supported by a rudimentary parachute, landed safely leading Blanchard to pursue his determination to provide adequate rescue and safety resources for balloonists. The exact date that he personally parachuted out of a gas balloon is unknown, although it was believed to be during 1785; however it is clear that Blanchard foreshadowed the later parachute descents of Andre Garnerin.

Jean-Pierre continued to give balloon flight demonstrations throughout the world, including the first ever balloon flight in North America where he flew from the Washington Prison Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Gloucester County, New Jersey - a flight which was observed by American President, George Washington. Blanchard's wife, Marie, who had also learnt to pilot balloons, accompanied him on many of these demonstrations.