The short-lived Union Army Balloon Corps in the Civil War was in a way the U.S. military's first air force.

A year into the Civil War, the Union Army unveiled their secret weapon: spy balloons.

The American Civil War saw the formation of the Balloon Corps for Federal Army, and it wasn't long until this newly formed division took to the sea.

In the Civil War, prominent aeronaut Thaddeus Lowe and the U.S. Balloon Corps used floating spies, and the balloon practice continued even through World War II when they hunted submarines.

A Chinese balloon seen floating over the northwestern United States this week was a reminder of how governments have used balloons for reconnaissance for more than a century.

Joseph C. Scott, The Infernal Balloon, Army History, No. 93 (Fall 2014), pp. 6-27 ...

What if the Union Army had machine guns at the Battle of Gettysburg? What if Robert E. Lee had observation balloons to spy on his opponents? These are the sorts of questions that tempt alternative ...

During the Civil War, the Union Army got a leg up (way up) on the Confederates by taking to the skies. Hot air balloons had been around since the first manned flight in 1783.

Why was a Chinese spy balloon was spotted over the northern United States? Can the U.S. just shoot it down? Does this happen a lot? What we know.

The American Civil War saw the formation of the Balloon Corps for Federal Army, and it wasn't long until this newly formed division took to the sea.