Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-05-21

to the earth. When a 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.
A law making this necessary would be
a great boon to the art and practice of
ballooning. A bag carrying between
35, 900 and 40, 900 cubic feet of gas
and two persons besides the pilot
should drop to earth when the pilot has
expended all the ballast save three
bags. If he does not do so he is risk
ing lives that he should not be allowed
to jeopardize.
| am in favor of government regula-
tion. At the present time licenses can
be granted to pilots in this country by
the Aero club of America. There are
now "a men holding these licenses. An
applicant must make 10 successful as
tensions before he is granted the Ii
cense. These directions have to be
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 a
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 a
mans farm, he has to give the man 8
name and where he lives, and who
hauled him back to town. This is so
that at any future time the authorities
may satisfy themselves that the trip
was really made and that it was a sue
cessful one in every way.
France has very creditable method
of licensing its balloon men. The IL
censes are not governmental, though.
Each pilot, who is going to make an
ascent, carries in his pocket little
book with his number and his photo
graph in it. If any one questions his
identity or his ability as navigator
he simply shows the book with his
photo behind the isenglass.
l am in favor of government licens-
ing and government regulations, rather
than that of state jurisdiction. In this
way the laws would be uniform, and
all the air sailers of something near
equal ability. An applicant would not
have to go to Washington to make an
ascent by any means. He may make
the trip at any place under the guild
ance of an accredited pilot.
Ballooning is becoming more and
more popular. 1t is now more than
craze. Its possibilities are attracting
more matter of ethics. A person
may walk on 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 90
along with him, he risks their lives
without enough experience to get them
out of danger should anything happen.
When five people go up in balloon in
addition to the pilot, the unskilled
pilot is risking five lives in addition to
his own.
Throwing overheard ballast is a sci
ence. Ballast is to a balloon what
steam is to an engine. And Just as
steam once gone can never be recover
ed, just SO ballast thrown overheard is
lost. One man can get along, make a
whole trip without losing more than
five bags of ballast while another
spends twenty. The latter spends all
mis- time in travelling up and down,
making saw teeth, while the other sails
along in comparatively straight line.
The pilot who is out with the beginner
makes careful notes and gives a full
report to the members of the Aero
,lub. He takes into consideration just