New Britain herald., 1922-05-24
LUCK HAS LEADING
 PART IN AVIATION
Pilots Admit Result is 75 Per
 Cent. Chance While in Air

Milwaukee. Wis, May 24 tBy As. soeiated Press There probably is nothing in which luck plays so great a part as competitive aviation. for despite the rapid strides in recent years navigating the air still is de- pendent on so many factors that al most any pilot in figuring his chances Tn race will frankly admit that the result is about 75 per cent dependent on the whms of the goddess of for tune
 This is particularly true in balloon ing, where the navigator does not have the same control over his craft as an airplanc pilot has and in the national balloon race which starts from here May 3n two pilots who are afflicted with probably the toughest luck in aviation records will com pete. They are J, s. Mckibben and Bernard Won Hoffman. both of St Louis. for they lost the International Gordon Bennett balloon race at Brus- sels last year just because the luck goddess glanced the other way at critical moment. Luck put them in the anomalous position of travelling farth- CT than any other entry and yet los ing the race although it is a contest for distance and not for speed. This Is the way MT. McKibben tells it.
 Story Of the Trip
 we left Brussels about 545 p. m. September IS, 1921, under very un- favorable conditions for storm was brewing and we were in the midst of 30 mile-an- hour wind which carried us northwest and in two hours we were over Zeebrugge. The North Sea was crossed at an altitude of 4,5o0 feet, the English coast line being reached about 20 miles north of the Thames.
 Shortly we passed over London. By sunrise we were in Northern Wales and the Irish Sea was in sight. We dropped down very low and ask ed where we were and how far it was across the sea. The farmers told us it was 100 miles-much 10 our surprise-and we decided to tackle it, as our rate of speed at that tim would carry us over in five hours placing us in the neighborhood of Dublin.
 About s:3O a. m. we crossed the town of Aberswith, but the wind gradually died down and at 11:3o a. m. we were over Bardsley Island. We decided to land on this island, but while maneuvering we caught sight of another balloon to the south of us. Naturally we abandoned all plans for landing and decided not to try to come down until the other bag did. We kept sailing along and at 4:3o D. m. we were only a mile from the Dublin shore-only a mile from sure victory in the worlds greatest air race, for we were certain no other bag could have travelled that far.
 Could Not Get Ashore.
 But there was no wind and we could not get into shore, We threw thing, but still could not get over land. Slowly we were sinking, but it was into the sea, and that was where we landed. A ship picked us up one mile from shore and this disqualified us.
 Imagine our disgust when we learned that the balloon we sighted when figuring on landing at Bardsley Island had landed there itself and had won the race by so doing. Had we landed on the island we would have tied the winnerl Had we had a mere puff of wind we would have reached Dublin and been an easy winner. We travelled farther than anyone, but landing in the ocean dis qualified us-that was break of luck over which we had no control and that is why I say that luck is the biggest thing in race of this kind.
 MT. McKibben has been in aviation since 1910. Won Hoffman IS of bal looming family, his brother, Albert, and his father being aeronauts. While a St. Louisan. he was born in Mill waukee He had his first trip when only 10 years old and has flown in many national and international races. although probably the young est pilot in the world. He and Mc- Kibben have separate entries in the race this year.