[Ballooning] Green, Charles. (1785 - 1870) Three Ballooning Flyers, 1838 - 1845A intriguing group of three ballooning flyers advertising the United Kingdom's most famous balloonist of the 19th century. Experimenting with coal gas as a cheaper and more readily available alternative to hydrogen for lifting power, Green's first ascent was in a coal gas balloon on 19 July 1821 and he had made 200 ascents by 1835. In 1836, he set a major long distance record in the balloon Royal Vauxhall, flying overnight from Vauxhall Gardens in