The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-17
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN, Direceos,
washington, d. C.
BALLooNING FOR ALL.

! ballooning should be made a popular
sport by the formation of balloon
clubs in all parts of the country. and
that it would be one of the safest,
lhealthiest and most enjoyable of all
sports, is the opinion of Ralph H.
/ Epson, of the Aero club of America.
| Epson has several times represented
the Aero club in the annual Gordon
| Bennett balloon race, and he once won
that event which made him the
champion balIoonist of the world. He
is not only an expert balloonist, but
also a designer of balloons and blimps.
Epson is strongly imbued with the
idea that balloonlng is the worlds
great neglected sport, that a large
part of mankind is missing great
deal of fun by not getting up in the
air with a gas bag.
| The general public has the idea that
the airpAane has forever displaced the
! balloon. AS a matter of fact, it has
/ left the balloon just where it was be-
fore, as one of the most amusing toys
civilized man has invented. Balloon
| ing never has been much but a sport,
and most ballonistS have no desire TO
make it anything else. The balloon
bears the same relation to the alrplane
that the sailing yacht does to the
I
er boats have practically displaced the
sail boats in commerce. but sail boats
remain the chief recreation of many
/ thousands.
! In fact, machinery and sport do
| not for the most part, go together.
The commercial future undoubtedly
! belongs to the airplane, but it remains
| and long will remain a decidedly ex-
| pensive and somewhat hazardous
business. Even if power flying had
wide appeal as sport, it would be
long time before any but the wealthy
and daring few could follow it.
| None of these drawbacks, according
| to Epson, applies to the balloon. He
says that he can design small bal
loon which can be sold for no more
than the cost of good passenger
automobile, and which can be flown
with the gas made in the city gas
| house. Three or four clubbing together
| could then go in for ballooning more
| eheaply than each separately could go
| in for motoring.
FooIproof Flying.
/ Epson and other balloonists agree
that ballooning, properly carried on, is
! so safe that it may be called fool
proof, and they also assert that it has
a fascination which must be expert
| enced to be appreciated. Once man
has known the strange delight of
rising into the rare and stimulating
atmosphere above the earth and riding
the air currents, they say, he is never
more satisfied to stay on earth.
AS a summer sport, means OF
Escaping the heat and dust that be-
| dviI the dWeller on the face of the
earth, it would certainly have advan-
| tages. 1t is probable too that roaming
around among the clouds in a balloon
| would be much better for the nerves
|
| bumps in a flivver. A nation of bal
! loonists would probably be nation of
serene philosophers.
| But to return to the immediate
| feasibility of the thing. Epson says
that provided you do not try to smoke
and cook in your balloon, do not de-
| liberately stay out in violent storms,
and do not try to cross large bodies
| of water, a balloon is one of the safest
places to be. AS long as you carry no
| fire, there is nothing to p1ncture your
gas bag in the air, and as long as your
gas bag is intact you are safe. Light
ming is not a danger. You are not any
| more likely to be struck by lightning
| in a balloon than you are walking
| along a street, and not in as much
| danger as you would be standing under
tree. You can always descend gently
i to tie earth at any time, if storm
rises.
Ballooning. is primarily study in
weather The only control which a.
| balloonist has over his craft is gained
| by choosing his air currents. By go-
| ing up or down a few thousand feet
| he can usually find a current which
| is going somewhere near the direction
/ he wants to travel. "
The layman whose knowledge of
ballooning is usually based on having
seen a so-called balloonist make an
: ascension at a country fair, believes
| that a balloonist merely blows along
in almost any direction until he feels
that he is getting too far from home,
and then comes to earth.
Balloon Control.
As a matter of fact, the growing
| knowledge of the air currentS which
is being gathered by balloonists, gives
them a growing control over their
craft, and makes ballooning a sport
of high scientific skill. Indeed, its
study of the upper air zones is pro-
badly the most useful thing about bal
looming.
The weather bureau has been send
ing representatives to the balloon
meets of the Aero club. and Upson on
his last flight carried an observer
from the weather bureau. These
scientists see in the balloon splendid
means of studying the important
secrets of the atmosphere.
|
rents grows, bellooning becomes less
and less hazardous. The balloonist
knows about where to look for the air
current he wants. Wh9n he starts
out on a flight it is true he must al
ways be prepared to make q landing
wherever it is necessary. ana ship his
| balloon back home; but he also has an
excellent chance, if he knows his bust
ness. to fly back under his own power.
! Many successful round trips. to
points fifty or sixty miles away and
back. have been made by balloonists.
A military balloonist not long ago sue.
ceeded in flying from the flying field
to his own back yard and taking his
wife for a ride.
The expert balloonist in a race fire.
quently rises to 10000 feet, sometimes
to 10000. He dar.ngly goes out over
the ocean, trusting to his knowledge
of the air currents to get him back
In all of these things there is risk. as
there is also in riding out thunder