The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-29
BALLOONS TO
VIE IN NATIONAL
DISTANCE RACE.
Enter Pittsburgh Contest
for Right to Compete in
Bennett Event.
By Science ScrUice

By SClCHcC service
PITTSBURGH, May 29.-Devo-
tees of the most ancient aviation
sport, ballooning, will watch with
interest the National elimination
balloon race to be started from
Belts Field here on Wednesday.
Fourteen giant gas bags will be in
flated with not more than $4,000
cubic feet of hydrogen and taking
off at p. m. will attempt to travel
as far away as possible in an air.
line from the starting point.
While the Litchf1eld trophy and
substantial cash prizes will be
awarded to those who maneuver
their balloons to the greatest dis
lance, the real aim of the contest
enter the International Gordon
Bennett Balloon race on June 80,
which by virtue of the American
victory last September will again be
held at Detroit The teams win
ming the first three places have the
right to enter the international
contest.
1927 Winners Entered
Among the entrants in the May
80 race are E. j. Hill pilot and A.
G.. Schlosser, aid in Detroit No. 81"
who won the Gordon Bennett race
last year w. T. Van Orman, pilot,
and w. w. Morton, aid, in Good
year V" is another vetran team that
is scheduled to start. Van Orman
won the 1926 Gordon Bennett race
held in Antwerp and was winner of
the national elimination race held
a year ago.
H. E. Honeywell, a veteran
balloonist, will pilot the Gardener
g. with Arthur G. Hoskins as aid.
Capt w. E. Kepner, pilot, and
Lieut.. w. o. Eareckson, aid, the
Army team that competed in the
Gordon Bennett race last year, will
also be in the starting line.
Other contestants include: Clar-
ence A. Palmer, pilot, j. W. Nell,
aid, in American Business Club of
Akron" Lieut.. j. H. Stevens pilot,
and Lieut.. George F. Watson, aid,
in a Navy balloon; Capt. Edmond
w. Hill, pilot, and Lieut.. j. G..
Fisher, in Army O." Lieut.. Paul
Evert, pilot, and Lieut.. U. G. Emf,
aid, in Army g." w. j. Bennett,
pilot, and Walter Chambers, aid,
in 1.-The Pittsburgher;" G. K. Woll-
am, pilot, and j. F. Cooper, aid, in
city of Cleveland" George Hine-
man, pilot, and E. F.. Johnson, aid,
in balloon from Detroit, and two
balloons of the Detroit Balloon Club
for which the teams have not yet
been named.
Is Hazardous Sport
Ballooning is in many respects a
hazardous sport. In the 1923 Cor
don Bennett race from Brussels
there were fatalities when five bal
looms were wrecked at the take-off
by an electrical storm.
In the 1920 race from Birming-
ham, the winds carried Alan r.
Hawley into the wiits of North ern
Ontario and he was lost for week
while making his way back to civili-
cation. Van Orman, a contestant in
the May 80 race, once had the haz-
ardous experience of landing his
balloon on the deck of freighter
at sea.
knowledge of weather conditions
contributes largely to the winning
of balloon races. Last year many
baskets we're equipped with radio
in order to receive the latest wealth
err information. The free balloon
having no means of propulsion must
travel with the air currents and skill
in ballooning consists in conserving
sand ballast and gas as long as pos
sible at the same time changing al
titude as often as necessary to
travel with the speediest layer of
wind.