Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries flew the first hot air balloon across the English Channel in 1785, but almost crashed into the ocean because they packed too much unnecessary junk.

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Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries flew the first hot air balloon across the English Channel in 1785, but almost crashed into the ocean because they packed too much unnecessary junk. Desperate aviators were forced to violently toss everything overboard to stay aloft, including their heavy coats, provisions, a pair of anchors, and eventually all of their trousers, landing in France wearing nothing but their underwear. Jeffries even resorted to aggressively urinating over the side of the basket in a frantic attempt to shed extra fluid weight before they hit the freezing water. It serves as a brilliant reminder that humanity has always approached bleeding-edge technological achievements with terrible planning, excessive luggage, and a healthy dose of sheer, unadulterated panic