The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-04-29
Rigid Laws 10 Govern AsT0nauts
A. Leo Stevens, Instructor Of U. 8.
Army Balloon Corps, Advocates Gov
eminent License and Examinations.

Every day ! am firmly convinced that
there should be government regulation
on ballooning. have held this theory
for some time, but the experience Of a
certain California aeronaut few days
ago in the Sierra Madre mountains has
brought the need home 10 me more
strongly than ever. The government
regulations should consist Of licenses for
lalg0on pilots, and laws within which
the pilots should have 10 eonine them
selves.
While / do not wish TO reflect on this
aeronaut, ] do wish 10 point out that
be is only case IA point. Some people
can never become successful balloon
men any more than all men can become
successes a. artists or deep.sea divers.
II 3 part Of man s makeup. There
are some men who can make 20 aseen-
sions and still be no better equipped
AS pilots than II they were going up for
the second time. A person who is not
skilled in aeronauties, knowing that
this man has made say nine aseensions,
says, fOh, I'll willingly 60" II we
had government regulation, where men
skilled in aircraft should make the ex-
aminations as 10 whether or not the APP
plieant was fitted 10 be a pilot, this OBJ
sions danger would be dispensed with.
The popular idea Is that All one has
20 DO 20 make an ascension is to jump
into the balloon car, cut loose, and when
one is ready 70 ascend thgow overheard
the sand ballast. A a matter Of fact
that much Is not even the alphabet Of
ar riding.
When / heard that this experimenter
was 70 make The trip with that number
~ passengers and with 30 small an
amount Of ballast IN my old Ameri-
ca, ! predicted failure. He should be
thankful that the escape was 80 sue
cessful. There are some requirements
ard some theories controlling the ascent
and descent 81 balloons Just as fixed
~ those that govern temperature or that
Of gFaVitation. A certain sized air ship
with 80 many cubic feet Of gas natural
~ can carry only 80 many pedestrians
exclusive Of lis ballast.
There Is a nieefy in determining just
how many L can carry successfully. To
be spccihc. a balloon with $4,000 cubic
feet 81 gas should start out with 80
bags 81 ballast and Eve passengers.
Equipped Ia that manner the pilot need
fear no storm and have no worry. He
is just as safe a. II be were sitting a.
his own hresidc When a storm comes.
by throwing overheard some ballast be
can 20 above II. When the storm Is
over by letting ont little gas through
The escape valve he can descend safely
70 the earth. when a balloon Of this
size. that IS 10000 cubic feet. has
thrown over al SIS ballast for one rea-
son or another. except Eve bags, il
should drop 10 earth az once. To do
otherwise i % run a dangerous risk.
= law making this necessary would be
q great boon 70 the art and practice Of /
hailo0ning. bag carrying between
IS 900 and 10000 cubic feet Of gas and /
two persons besides the pilot should
drop 10 earth when the pilot has ex-
pended al the ballast save three bags. /
II be does not do 40 be Is risking lives
that be should not be allowed 10 ieop- /
srdizc.
am IN favor Of government regula.
lion. AZ the present time licenses can
be- granted 70 pilots IN this country by 4
he Aero Club Of America. There are 4
now - men holding these licenses. An
applicant must make 10 successful as
tensions before he j. granted the
scenSe. These ascensions have 10 be
made before be Is granted the license.
inder the direction Of other licensed
pilots. or after the applicant has made
four or Eve 10 that be can manage a
balloon he must keep data Of his trips.
This information has 20 be exact and
b. fled away. For instance, when the
applicant drops back 10 earth. say on a
nan farm, he has 10 give the man =
'amc and where he lives, and who
'auicd him back TO town. This is 50
hat az any future time the authorities
nay satisfy themselves that the trip
vas really made and that IL was a sue
essful one In every way.
France has n very crcditsble method
licensing its balloon men. The licenses
ne not governmental, though. Each
lilot. who Is going 10 make an ascent,
aries In his pocket a little book with
is number and his photograph in Il.
anyone questions his identity or his
biliiv rs a navigator he simply shows ,
he book with his photo behind the isen-
lass.
I am in favor Of government licensing
nd government regulations, rather than
bat Of state jurisdiction. In this way
be laws would be uniform. and all the
ir sailcrs Of something near equal abil-
v. An applicant would not have 20 90 !
, Washington to make an ascent by
ny means. lie may make the trip at ,
ny place under the guidance Of an ac- >
-edited pilot.
Ballooning is becoming more and more
npular II Is now more than a craze. !
3 possibilities are attracting great
any reckless people 20 have the ex- I
nricnce Of seeing the earth slip out y
'om under them. Here is whore the
ouble comes. I will not say that it (
not right for a man TO 20 up. in a
.lloon by himself / think that is
ore a matter Of ethics. person may
ak on n railroad whore there Is a
ird rail- He does Il knowing that he 81
taking his life in his hands, but when il
! pcrsuadcs other people to 20 along +
ith him he risks their lives without {,
ough experience TO get them out Of "a
niger should anything happen. When b.
70 people 60 up in balloon in addi- II
On 70 the pilot, the unshilled pilot is RI
king Eve lives in addition to his own. e
Throwing overheard ballast Is n sci. nj
~. nallnnf Il "a a hn1loou what afoana / ~