The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1909-04-16
Rigid Laws To
| Govern AerOnauts
A. Leo Stevens, Instructor Of U. s.
Army Balloon Corps, Advocates Gov
eminent License and Examinations.

"A. LEU stevens, instructor OF u. 8. |
Army Balloon Corps, Advocates Gov
eminent License and Examinations.
Every day 1 am firmly convinced that
there should be government regulation
on ballooning. 1 have held this theory
for some time, but the experience of a !,
certain California aeronaut a 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
BALLOON pilots, and laws within which
the pilots should have to confne them
selves.
| While do not wish to reflect on this
aeronaut, 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
4 successes as artists or deep-sea divers.
1t IS part of a man 8 makeup. There
are some men who can make 20 ascen-
sions and still be no better equipped
rs 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, ooh, IN willingly CO." If we
had government regulation, where men
skilled in aircraft should make the ex-
aminations as to whether or not the ap-
plicant was fitted to be pilot, this OBJ
vious 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
| = a. r1oD ~
the sand ballast. AS matter of fact
that much is not even the alphabet of
| air riding.
When I heard that this experimenter
was to make the trip with that number
amount of ballast in my old "Ameri-
ca, F" predicted failure He should be
thankful that the escape was SO sue
cessful There are some requirements
ard some theories controlling the ascent
; and descent of balloons just as fixed
as those that govern temperature or that
T of gravitation. A certain sized air ship
{ with so many cubic feet of gas natural
ly can carry only so many pedestrians
exclusive Of it's ballast.
There is nicely in determining just
how many it can carry successfully. To
be specific, balloon with $4,000 cubic
feet of gas should start out with 35
bags of ballast and FIVE passengers.
Equipped in that manner the pilot need
fear no storm and have no worry. He
l is just as safe as if he were sitting at
i his own Preside. When a storm comes,
by throwing overheard some ballast he
can 90 above it. When the storm is
over, by letting out little gas through
the escape valve he can descend safely
to the earth. When balloon of this
size, that is $4,000 cubic feet, has
thrown over all its ballast for one rea.
son or another, except five bags, it
should drop to earth at once. To do
otherwise is to run dangerous risk
| = law making this necessary would be
great boon to the art and practice OF
ballooning. A bag carrying between
$4,000 and 10000 cubic feet of gas and
] two persons besides the pilot should
drop to earth when the pilot has ex
pended all the ballast save three bags
/ If he does not do SO he is risking lives
that he should not be allowed to jeop
ardize.
| ! am in favor of government regula
1 ton. At the present time licenses car
be granted to pilots in this country by
the Aero Club Of America, There are
now "a men holding these licenses. Al
applicant must make 10 successful as
I tensions before he is granted the
I license. These ascensions have to bt
made before he is granted the license
under the direction of other licensed
pilots, or after the applicant has made
four or five so that he can manage 6
balloon he must keep data of his trips
This information has to be exact and
be filed away. For instance, when the
applicant drops back to earth, say on 9
man IS farm, he has to give the man 4
name and where he lives, and who
, hauled him back to town. This is sc
that at any future time the authorities
may satisfy themselves that the trip
was really made and that it was sue
cessful one in every way.
France has a very creditable method
= licensing its balloon men. The licenses
t are not governmental, though. Each
: pilot, who is going to make an ascent
carries in his pocket little book with
his number and his photograph in it
: # anyone questions his identity or his
, the book with his photo behind the isen
glass.
am in favor of government licensing
anu SO'Oi CSuid0iohot IhdL
that of state jurisdiction. In this way
| the laws would be uniform, and all the
air sailers of something near equal abil
!. ity. An applicant would not have to &c
to Washington to make an ascent by
3 any means. He may make the trip at
3 any place under the guidance of an &C.
8 credited pilot.
! Ballooning is becoming more and more
, popular. 1t is now more than craze
Its possibilities are attracting great
many reckless people to have the ex-
perience of seeing the earth slip out
from under them. Here is where the
= trouble comes. I will not say that it
. is not right fer man to go up in a
balloon by himself. I think that is
more matter of ethics. A person may
walk on a railroad where there is a
third rail. He does it knowing that he
is taking his life in his hands, but when
he persuades other people to 60 along