Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-28
PILOTS ARE READY
FOR BALLOON RACE
Army and Navy Will Again
Vie for HonorS in Air
Classic.

By the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH, April 27.--Army and
Navy balloonists, always contenders for
honors in the national elimination races,
are ready to test their skill against the
pilots Of seven civilian bags entered here
for the 1929 race May 4.
The Army has the edge this year
through the victory of its veterans. Capt.
w. E. Kepner and Lieut.. w. o. Eareck-
son, in the Gordon Bennett interna-
tional race last year. These two are
defenders of the international trophy
and do not have TO compete in the
elimination race.
Three Balloons for Army.
Three balloons will represent the
Army when it comes time for the take
off in the University of Pittsburgh
stadium here. The international finals
will be at st. Louis September 20.
Pilots OF the Nays two entries,
Lieut.. Thomas @. w. Settle and Lieut..
Jack c. Richardson, are ready to show
the Army veterans thing or two about
ballooning, and hope to make the Cor
don Bennett contest race between the
Army and Nays crack pilots to the
exclusion Of foreign competition.
Ward T. Van Ornan, recognized as
one Of Americas greatest balloon pilots.
heads the group Of civilian balloonists.
Unless Dame Luck frowns upon their eff
forts. the civilians feel certain that the
elimination race will be far more than
a contest Of skill between the two mill
tary service groups.
Van Orman has a brilliant record of
four victories in the national races and
one in the international contest, which
make him a perennial threat.
He has devised a new method OF COM
putting his position, which he says will
require but a minutes work this year
as compared TO an old laborious process
which took from 10 minutes TO an hour
Honeywell Has New Tricks.
II. E. Honeywell. another veteran
with three national victories, returns to
the races each year with a new bag of
tricks up his sleeve
Van Orman will pilot the Goodyear
VII this year while Honeywell is
ready TO carry the ST. Louis Chamber
of Commences entry to victory.
Capt Edmund w. Hill, veteran OF
last years disastrous race, which ended
IN the death of two balloonists and the
injury OF two others, will pilot one OF
the Army bags this year with Lieut.
Robert Head as his aide.
Lieut.. u. G.. Ent. awarded the Dis
tinguished FLYING Cross for hts heroic
act last year when his comrade, Lieut.
Paul Evert, was killed by lightning, is
ready. He will act as aide TO Capt
William J. Floor, who represented tho
United States abroad In the 1925 Cor
don Bennett race.
Capt. Floods memories OF nearly
disastrous landing In the English Chan
mel that year have prompted him tc
provide his balloon with a cork-like
fiotation apparatus this year.
Lieut.. Lawrence A. Lawson has beer
named pilot of the third Army entrant
with Lieut. Edgar Fogelsonger as hi
aide.
Civilian Entrants Named.
Civilian entrants include:
Edward j. Hill, pilot and Arthur O
Schlosser, aide, of Detroit, winners o
the Gordon Bennett race in 1927.
Alexander Klikoff. pilot. and Thor
vail Larsen. aide, Of Detroit
S. A. U. Rasmussen, pilot, and Trac.
Southworth. aide, Of Detroit.
Or. George NJ. LIE Gallee, pilot, De
troit. and Walter Chambers, aide, o
Pittsburgh.