The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1909-04-22

this man has made say nine ascensions
says, "Oh, III willingly 60" If we
had government regulation, where
men skilled in aircraft should make the
examinations as to whether or not the
applicant was Stted 20 be a 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 a 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
eessful. 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 so,
cubic feet of gas should start out with
IS bags of ballast and five passengers.
Equipped in that manner the pilot need
fear no storm, and have no worry. He
s Just as safe as if he were sitting at
his own 6reside. 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 so, 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 q dangerous risk.
A law making this necessary would be
a great boon to the art and practice Of
ballooning. A bag carrying between
50, 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 be does not do so he is risk
ing lives that he should not be allowed
to jeopardize.
am in favor Of government regula-
ton. 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 IL
cense- These directions have to be
made before he is granted the license,
under the direction of other licensed
pilots, OF after the applicant has made
four or five so that he can manage q
balloon, he must keep data Of his trips
This information has to be exact, snc
be filed away. For instance, when the
applicant drops back to earth, say on {
mans farm, he has to give the man:
name and where he lives, and whS
hauled him back to town. This is Sc
that at any future time the authorize.
may satisfy themselves that the triI
was really made and that it was a sue
cessful one in every way.
France has a very creditsble methoC
of licensing its balloon men, The Ii
censes are not governmental, though
Each pilot, who is going 70 make al
ascent, carries in his pocket littl'
book with his number and his photo
graph in it. If any one questions hi
identity or his ability as q navigate
he simply shows the book with hi
photo behind the isenglsss.
/ am in favor Of government licens
ing and government regulations, rattle
than that Of state jurisdiction In thi
way the laws would be uniform, an,
all the air sailers Of something nea
equal ability. An applicant would no
have to go to Washington to make al
ascent by any means. He may max
the trip at any place under the guild
anee Of an accredited pilot
Ballooning is becoming more an,
more popular. 1t is now more than
craze. Its possibilities are attracting
q great many reckless people 70 havl
the experience of seeing the earth sill
out from under them. Here is wher'
the trouble comes. / viii not say tina
! it is not right for man to 60 up in
balloon by himself. / think that
more a matter Of ethics A persol
may walk on a railroad where there j
, third rail. He does it knowing tina
he is taking his life in his hands, bu
when he persuades other people to &
along with him, be risks their live
without enough experience 10 get ther
out Of danger should anything happen
. When FIVE people go up in balloon i
. addition to the pilot, tho unskille'