Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1909-04-24
Rigid Laws To
Govern AerOnautS
A Leo Stevens, Instructor of U. 8.
Army Balloon Corps, Advocates Gov
eminent License and Examinations.

on ballooning. l have held this theory
for some time, but the experience of
certain California aeronaut few days
ago in the Sierra Madre mountains has
brought the need home to me more
strongly than ever. The government
regulations should consist of licenses for
ti1loon pilots, and laws within which
the pilots should have to confne them
selves.
While l do not wish to reflect on this
acronaut, l do wish TO point out that
he is only case in point. Some people
can never become successful balloon
men any more than all men can become
successes as artists or deep-sea divers.
1t s part of a man s makeup. There
are some men who can make 20 ascen-
sions and still be no better equipped
AS pilots than if they were going up for
the second time. A person who is not
skilled in aeronautics, knowing that
this man has made say nine ascensions,
says, "Oh, III willingly CO." If we
had government regulation, where men
skilled in aircraft should make the ex-
aminatiOns as to whether or not the APP
plicant was fitted to be a pilot, this OBJ
yiOus danger would be dispensed with.
The popular idea is that all one has
TO do TO make an ascension is to jump
into the balloon car, cut loose, and when
one is ready to ascend throw overheard
the sand ballast. As matter of fact
that much is not even the alphabet of
air riding.
When / heard that this experimenter
was 10 make the trip with that number
Of passengers and with so small an
amount Of ballast in my old " Ameri-
Z 1 So 81. !.
thankful that the escape was so sue
eessful. There are some requirements
ard some theories controlling the ascent
and descent Of balloons Just as fixed
as those that govern temperature OF that
Of gravitatiOn. A certain sized air ship
with so many cubic feet Of gas natural
~ can carry only so many pedestrians
exclusive Of its ballast
There is a nicely in determining just
Row many ii can carry successfully To
be specific, balloon with $4,000 cubic
feet of gas should start out with 80
bags Of ballast and five passengers.
Equipped IN that manner the pilot need
fear no storm and have no worry. lie
is just as safe as If be were sitting at
his own hreside. When "a storm comes
by throwing overheard some ballast be
can 20 above II. When the storm Is
over. by letting out "a little gas through
The escape valve he can descend safely
10 the earth. When "a balloon of this
SIZE. that is 10000 cubic feet has
thrown over adj IT'S ballast for one rea.
son Or another. except five bags, II
should drop 10 earth an once. TO DO
otherwise Is 40 run dangerous risk
a law making this necessary would be
% great boon 10 the art and practice of
( hallo0ning A bag carrying between
$4,000 and 10000 cubic feet of gas and
1870 persons besides the pilot should
drop fo earth WHOM the pilot has ex
pended all the ballast save three bags
~ he docs mot do 80 le rs risking lives
that ho should n0i be allowed 90 leop
ardize
am in favor of government regula.
+ Con AZ tho present time licenses can
Dr. gantod fo pilots in fllf country ly
fhe hero Club NJ America There are
; noW "a men holding Those licenses Az
applicant mpff make 10 facenasful ~
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