Evening star., 1928-05-27
PILOTS PREPARING
FOR BALLOON RACE
Fourteen AirShipS at Pitts
burgh Field in Preparation
for Event Wednesday.

Fourteen Army. Navy ana civilian de-
Hated balloons are punched at Belts
Field. Pittsburgh, while their crews
sa>.,.s' about in preparation for the Ma
tjonal Elimination Balloon Race to be-
gin there "wednesday.
Late in the afternoon Of Memorial
CAV the big spheres os hydrogen Will
set sail tor un&nowis destinations ana
compete for honorS that include the
L.tchfield Trophy cash prizes and
three places in the Gordon Bennett In
ternat.onal Balloon Race to be held
a. Detroit June SO.
This contest. like yacht sailing, will
be a competition between persons
rather than machines and the p'lot2
of the balloons must constantly match
their wits and skill against weather
ccI6idonS ana sir currents Wh.ca are
never twice the same.
Has Enthusiastic Following.
While the race Is 4 pure sporting
event, the scientific aspects cannot be
laid aside, for ii order 10 win, bal
loon crew must have an ample store
house Of knowledge on meteTeology and
further must be able 10 make the high
est intelligent application Of this
knowledge 20 the surroundings.
Since 1906, when the first national
balloon race was held here 10 select
Representatives for the Gordon Bennett
Trophy. balloon racing has had an en-
thuSiastic following. Present at Pitts
hursh. in addition 10 the crews. are
balloon enthusiasts and pilots, all OF
when at some future date undoubtedly
viii be prominently identified with
rsgid and semi-rigid airships that are
due to ply the air lines Of the world
an International commerce.
The balloon. among other things, Is
khe stepping stone TO the aiTship, which,
with its engines dead and its steering
cnatrolS gone, IS free balloon, al
thcugh its shape is different.
Lighter-than-atT authorities OF WASH
ngton. who today are in Pittsburgh,
lay great stress on the value OF the
balloon, not only as an advancement
pf aeronautics in general. but for other
keisntihc purposes. During the past
90 years, they declare, research and
science have employed balloons for de-
termination of the electrical state OF
he air. the oxygenic condition OF the
1atmospheTe, the study of the clouds.
heir height, density. thickness ana
ype: the rate and direction Of air cur
rents G daily task at all meteorological
ssfions: the observation Of SOUND. the
enllection of air at various attitudes.
he determination of the temperature
nt the dew point and the comparison
hs barometer readings at various altl-
uGss.
Safe Plotting OF Balloons.
Tie safe plotting OF free balloon
3 quickly learned There are two main
antrols-hallast and gas. To 60 up
p stop coming down. ballast, usually
q the form Of sandoags, is discharged,
Go come down or stop going up, gas is
eAeassd. Thus with this altitude con-
rol The pilot who knows his weather
an ascend or descend until he strikes
be Speediest Of wind currents in the
Erection he is headed for. wheTeupon
be attaches his balloon 10 that current
Ind rides untl il blows itself out or is
tnsgwise found 10 be unsuitable for
-rtsler Use Then the pilot. providing
ae has been economical with his gas
nd ballast, goes in search Of other
helping winds
The Army has entered three teams
3 gCgn its a.rsaip branch. the Navy two
nd the remainder are nationally and
Internationally known civilian aero
aazts. Those il the Army team are:
rapt. W. E. Kepner, pilot. and Lieut..
gIliiam O. Eareckson, aide; Capt. Ed
mind W. Hill. pilot, and Lieut.. H. @.
fisher, aide. al Of Scott Field. Belle
sIle, II, and Lieut. Paul Everett. pilot.
hese is unable 10 acquire an 10000
rd Lieut.. z 9. Ent, aide. Of Langley
Aead. Hampton, Va. Lieut.. Fisher is
native of washington.
M The Navy teams. captalned by Lieut..
z Bauch Of the y. s. S. Los Angeles
ad q survivor Of the Shenandoah dis
gtey. are composed Of Lieut.. T q. w
egtae. pilot. and Chief Boatswain's
tate @. w. Eteelman. aide Lieut.. j. II
teTens pilot, and Lieut.. George r
gatson. aide All are from the Naval
q u Station, Lzkehurst, ~. J. Lieut.. Set
|A e's permanent residence Is given as
Washington. .. c.
The civilians entered are: e. j. Hill
nd A. @. Schlosser OF the Aircraft De-
el0prent Corporation. Detroit. winners
the Gordon Bennett race last year
ath q distance Of T45 miles from De-
s0it TO Baxley. Ga. w. r Van Orman
4 I'D w. w. Morton Of the Goodyear
Ere 6c Rubber Co., Akron. winners OF
4 We Gordon Bennett race, which started
b Antwerp. Belgium, in 1926. They
nded at Soiveberg. Sweden. distance
k 535 miles. George Hinemsn and T.
johnson Of the Aircraft Development.
i Corporation, C. A. Palmer and j. w.
lei Of the American Business Club Of
kron, the Detroit Balloon Club. tao
stFies. pilots and aides not yet named:
q Honeywell and Arthur C. Hoskins.
eth Of Missouri; w. g. Bennett and
Falter Chambers. entered for the Pitts
rgh Sun-Telegraph. and c Z Woilam
Mo J r. Cooper for the Cleveland
azmbeT of Commerce.
Balloon Requirements.
Balloons for the elimination race viii
Il Of 55 900 cubic feet capacity, while
cy tfae international contest, they must
ks Of % 900 cubic feet capacity. The
ret three winners of the national con-
est viii be given places In the inter-
GtsonSl race and Il any one or more Of
ssse ls unable 70 acquire Ar 30 900
uOac foot craft. the rlirners-up in the
atsoDal race viii become eligible for
Be Bennett trophy
with the exception Of the years 1917
3. the national races have been held
nn1ail2 since 1903. The United States
oW has two legs" on the Bennett
rcpfly ard ssloalc II win this years In
Ynstional event It VIII become hn1eTi-
a's permanent possession The fequl-
CTS require that Il pe won three times
succession.