It could turn, but could not fly backSourced
Giffard’s airship faced a limit imposed by wind
In September 1852, Henri Giffard flew his steam-powered airship about twenty-seven kilometres from Paris. It could turn and circle, but the wind prevented a return to the start. Steering a craft did not yet mean overcoming the conditions around it.
Control still had to contend with wind.
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Henri Giffard · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05