The Alaska daily empire., 1922-05-15
GOVERNMENT BALL LOON TO CARRY
RADIO IN NEXT NATIONAL RACE

VI Il WA = iNI1lDy W 1919 -'At't 49, 49, /
The Associated Press One OF the I
government balloons which VIII com T
pete in the National Balloon Race /
for 1922. to start here May 81. viii !
carry complete and new radio
alignment which Will be tested Here
for the first time For the third the
american army and navy balloons
will compete against civilians. M1st
OF the government pilots saw service
in the World War The army vii!
send three balloons and the navy
two, but great secrecy appears to1
surround the entry Of these balloons.
In addition, entries have come
from Ralph H. Epson Of New York
who won the International Gordon
Bennett trophy in 1913; }. c. McKib-
bon Of st. Louis, Mo; Il. F. Donald
son of Springfield, H.; H. E. Honey
well of Clayton, Mo, and Warren
Rasor Of Brookvlle, 0. The races
will be one of the largest in number
of entries held in America.
Plane Races Planned
During the week of May 20 a Sc
ries of plane races will be conducted
under the direction Of the Aero Club
of Wisconsin, the aer0nautical see
! ton of the Wisconsin Association of
Commerce. The organization reports
promises from various aero clubs
that they will send planes to the city
to give the balloons a good send-off,
/ Il
that they will have number Of
planes on hand. Brig. Gen. William
| Mitchell will fly TO Milwaukee from
! Washington, D. c., accompanied by
two other planes. Thirty or more
planes are expected to be available
flor the demonstration, including some
from Chicago. Monmouth. Ill, De-
| troit, Michigan: Minneapolis, Mimi.
| Dayton, O.. and New York
Race for Distance
The balloon race will be for dis
| lance, and the pilots must choose
the best wind currents at different
attitudes and dispose of ballast and
gas to the best advantage in order
to land as far as possible from lthe
starting point This is said to in
volve hundreds of different problems.
1t has been estimated that the direc-
ton of the wind at the time Of syear
selected has averaged northwest
erly course during the last 40 years.
If this condition should prevail this
year ii would take the balloons far
into Canada. and all the pilots will
carry winter equipment. The races
commonly run from 400 to 1900 miles
and last from to 60 hours. 1t is
expected some of the balloons this
year will be in the air four or five
days. One balloon party in the ma
tional race last year was lost for
days.
inspection
The Milwaukee program calls for
AN inspection and visitors day on
May 80. On this day there will be
a series of aeroplane races around
the city. May 81 the balloons will
start.
The Aero Club of Wisconsin has
stipulated that each pilot must carry
as ballast 100000 circulars about
Milwaukee and it's business interests
to be released from time to time. 1t
is announced that except for bal
looms and pilots everything in the
race will be Milwallk ee made; that
pilots will use Milwaukee clothing
and outfits, Milwaukee food and cot
fee. Milwaukee sand as ballast, and
Milwaukee gas.
All Talent Out
Spokesman of the Aero Club Of
Wisconsin say that the race will
draw ON almost every talent the bal
loonist has; on his knowlede of nav-
CATION and meteorology. experience
in its application. ability to size up
conditions, judgment in their interpre-
tation, practical skill in handling the
balloon, firmness in adhering to a
good plan of action, but always with
eye and mind open for a better,
courage combined with caution, physi-
cal endurance and craftsmanship.
In free-ballooning, meteorology is
of prime Importance. To meteorology
and its newest branch, aerology. the
pilots of free balloons turn TO solve
the problems of the location and con-
dition OF their courses in the air;
the racing balloonist seeks the fac
tors of greatest speed and longest
fetch of the winds of the lower lev
els; the balloonist trying for a des-