On September 24, 1852, French inventor Henri Giffard flew the first powered and steerable airship, covering 27 kilometers from Paris to Trappes using a steam engine driving a propeller. Though limited in speed and control, this flight demonstrated the possibility of directed aerial navigation rather than passive drifting, marking a crucial step toward practical air transportation.

Giffard's steerable airship inspired Jules Verne and other writers of scientific romance, directly influencing novels like 'Five Weeks in a Balloon' and 'Robur the Conqueror.' The technology captured Victorian imagination about controlled flight, inspiring poetry and prose that explored themes of human mastery over nature and the possibilities of aerial travel transforming society and commerce.