Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-04-22

this man has made say nine ascensions
says, "Oh, I'll willingly CO." If we
had government regulation, where
men skilled in aircraft should make the
examinations as to whether or not the
applicant was fitted to be pilot, this
obvious 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 to make the trip with that number
of passengers and with so small an
amount of ballast in my old "Ameri-
ca" predicted failure. He should
be thankful that the escape was so sue
cessful. There are some requirements
and some theories controlling the as
cent and descent of balloons just as
fixed as those that govern temperature
or that of gravitation. A certain sized
air ship, with so many cubic feet of
gas naturally can carry only so many
passengers exclusive of its ballast.
There is a 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
is just as safe as if he were sitting at
his own freside. When a storm comes,
by throwing overheard some ballast he
can go above it. When the storm is
over, by letting out little gas through
the escape valves he can descend safely
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 a dangerous risk.
A law making this necessary would be
a great boon to the art and practice of
oailooning. A bag carrying between
35, 900 ard 10000 cubic feet of gas
and two persons besides the pilot
should drop to earth when the pilot has
all the ballast save three
bags. If he does not do so he is risk
ing lives that he should not be allowed
% jeopardize.
| am in favor Of government regula-
lion. At the present time licenses can
De granted to pilots in this country by
he Aero club of America. There are
low "a men holding these licenses. An
applicant must make 10 successful as
tensions before he is granted the IL
'ense. These directions have to be
made before he is granted the license,
lnder the direction of other licensed
,ilots. or after the applicant has made
our or five so that he can manage a
'alloon, he must keep data of his trips.
This information has to be exact, and
re filed away. For instance, when the
pplicant drops back to earth, say on
mans farm, he has to give the mans
anne and where he lives, and who
auled him back to town. This is so
hat at any future time the authorities
nay satisfy themselves that the trip
7as really made and that it was a sue
essful one in every way.
France has very creditable method
f licensing its balloon men. The IL
enses are not governmental, though. :
,ach pilot, who is going to make an
scent, carries in his pocket little
ook with his number and his photo
raph in it. If any one questions his
ientity or his ability as navigator
e simply shows the book with his
hoto behind the isenglass.
/ am in favor of government licens-
lg and government regulations, rather
IAN that of state jurisdiction. In this (
ay the laws would be uniform, and
Il the air sailers of something near
lual ability. An applicant would not
ave to go to Washington to make an
scent by any means. He may make
lie trip at any place under the guild
nee of an accredited pilot.
Bsllooning is becoming more and
ore popular. 1t is now more than a
.sse. Its possibilities are attracting