The Washington times., 1935-09-18
NOW
B1LLOOnists Tell
HOU It's Done
RACE THRILLS
By HELEN EssARY

Lieut.. II. r. Tyler, U. .. N,
and Lieut.. Howard T. Orville,
U. S. N, landed in Russia yes
terday after their take-off from
Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, in the
international balloon races.
Their course and destination
were at the mercy of the wind
and weather.
The Navy balloonistS, on the
way to Europe, were thrilled
at the chance of carrying off a
victory for the United States
in the competition with pos.
sibly Is European entries, repre-
Senting six or seven nations.
The winners in the race are
those who travel the greatest
distance from the point of de-
parture, based on a great circle
course. The time element is
unimportant.
The United States Navy bal
loon is quite new. 1t was built
especially for racing. It has a
capacity of 10000 cubic feet OF
gas. When inflated, it looks
like a big pear and is shaped
down to a load ring.
From the ring is suspended
the basket which carries the
balloonists. Likewise, their equip
ment and food supply. The
basket is no larger than a
small rectangular dining-room
table.
When Lieutenants Tyler and
Orville took off, they carried, at
first, approximately so sand
bags. weighing 80 pounds each.
flotation gear and var lous
emergency supplies. The sand
bags are the ballast-the safe
guard of balloonists. Needless
to say, when the balloon first
goes up, the available space is
extremely limited.
The rate at which the ballast
is got rid of depends upon alti-
tudes flown and general china
tic conditions. In order to lily
high and avoid storms, it is ne
cessary to dispose of a certain
amount of sand ballast.
"Going up seems fairly sim
ple," I said to Lieutenant Tyler,
the pilot, just before the avia-
tors left Hamburg for Poland.
But how do you get down from
an altitude of 10000 feet?"
Politely and with nice con
sideration for the stupidity OF
the permanently und d,
Lieutenant Tyler explained how
the gas valve at the top of the
balloon is MANIPULATED. He said:
eff the balloon is coming
down too quickly. a few hand
fuls Of sand ballast will usually
check the descent. When ready
to land, pull at the rip cord
debates the bag"
Normally it is not difficult to
land balloon. according to
Lieutenant Tyler. You may
have to climb into the rigging
now and then to straighten out
few little matters. Or you
may land in tree or two trees
or even on the sea or in the
center of an uninhabited plain.
But a good balloon carefully
piloted. equipped with rubber
life raft, life preservers. oxygen
bottles, parachutes, emergency
rations-cod liver oil tablets.
matted milk cubes-and general
optimism. comes to earth grace
fully however the winds blow.
Lieutenant Orville, the co-pilot
of the United States Navy bal
loon. is the man who looks sci
entifically at the clouds and dis.
covers the intentions of the
winds. thousands of feet above
anywhere. He naturally prefers
clouds with silver Innings. But,
being a good aerologist, he never
mistakes a gale for a gust.
Lieutenant OrvilIe flew in last
years international balloon
race, Warsaw, Poland, with
Lieut.. Charles Kendall, U. S. N.
They landed then in the sparsely
settled farming country of West
Central Russia. Officials of the
Soviet Air Corps arrived the fol-
lowing day and welcomed the
American fliers.
Lieutenants Tyler and Orville,
"Ty" and Shorty" to their fel.
low passengers during their re-
cent crossing on the U. S. S.
City of Baltimore, disembarked
with their balloon at Hamburg
on September 8 and proceeded
to Berlin to report to Capt. Ben
jamin Dutton, naval attache at
the American Embassy at Ber'
lin.
Lieutenant Tyler is a huge
fellow who must have reached
the 200-pound weight limit of a
ballooniSt without a struggle.
Lieutenant Orville, like his pilot,
is a delightful person. The two
aviators are well-chosen repre-
sentatives of the American Navy
abroad.
Poland has twice won the
international balloon race, cap
turing two legs of the James
Gordon Bennett trophy. The
American team was most anxious
to win this time, not only for
it's own satisfaction but to re-
turn the cup to the United
States.