On the aviation map of Lesser Poland, few places can boast documented use of observation balloons during the Great War. One of them is Szymbark near Gorlice. We owe a detailed account on this subject to a legend of Polish aeronautics — Professor engineer pilot Franciszek Janik, who in 1915 had the opportunity to observe not only Austrian aircraft at a field airstrip near his home village, but also shortly afterwards — in Szymbark near the church — to see an M 98 observation balloon, from which an observer conducted reconnaissance and directed artillery fire during the battles for Gorlice. As he himself recalled, the Austrians brought a tethered observation balloon to Szymbark.
Eager to satisfy his curiosity, he walked over a dozen kilometers — without informing his parents, of course — to see this marvel of technology. Reportedly, he watched it for several hours — the soldiers caused him no trouble at all and willingly told him about the balloon’s operation. He returned from his long journey beaming and happy, not regretting the time or effort. Some time later, he witnessed the flight of Austrian and Russian aircraft — he watched as during the Battle of Gorlice in 1915, ordinary field artillery fired at low-flying aircraft without causing them any damage.
Many years later — in 1933, after the victory of Franciszek Hynek and Zbigniew Burzyński in the Gordon Bennett Cup competition, Franciszek Janik (by then an engineer and pilot) decided to also fly free balloons. In 1934, he successfully completed training at the 2nd Balloon Troops Battalion in Legionowo and obtained his license as the first civilian balloon pilot in Poland. He later became a balloon instructor and organizer of balloon training at the Warsaw Aero Club. Franciszek Janik competed three times in the National Free Balloon Competition for the Col. Aleksander Wańkowicz Cup in Toruń and also took part three times in the elite International Free Balloon Competition for the Gordon Bennett Cup.
In total, Franciszek Janik flew aircraft until 1966 and balloons until 1968. He made his last balloon flight on the 30th anniversary of his victory in the International Free Balloon Competition for the Gordon Bennett Cup. Altogether, he logged over 2,150 hours on 65 types of aircraft, gliders, motor gliders, and balloons.
