The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1947-05-29
Like Hll,11,1li,lg Bird Is
Description of Volunteer

after scene of the sunlit train
below.
It was, of course, a flight of the
Goodyear non-rigid airship Vol.
unteer, flown by a most capable
pilot, Winston B. Purkiss.
The Volunteer visited Kenne-
wick Saturday, and during the
pre-noon hours it described its
stately circles back and forth
across the skies of the tri cities
area. By noon the Volunteers
mobile ground equipment, COM
plete with portable mooring mast,
had arrived at Twin City Airport,
and the airship was nosing earth
ward for first landing.
On a day as hot as Saturday, a
blimp behaves capriciously in its
approach to earth. Just when it's
floating easily down to the field,
it may surge upward again on a
rising current of warm air, and
the maneuver has to be tried all
over again.
But when the operation is fin
ally right, the airship swims closer
and closer OF the ground until the
dangling mooring lines are within
reach of ground crew, who throw
their weights against its forward
speed from both sides of the
nose until they've tanned. it for
all the world like a spirited
bronc.
The ground crewmen know
their business. From the moment
they cluster ON the field for the
landing, holding a portable wind
sock aloft to guide the pilot, they
are an alert disciplined unit, in
stantly. responsive to the sharp
megaphoned commands of the
technician in charge.
First man to alight from the
Volunteer Saturday was Captain
r. H. Hobensack, who with his
co-pilots Purkiss, Stillwell, and
Maloney, can merge their com
bind flying time into the aston.
ishing figure of Sc years of fly
ing and maintenance Of lighter
than-air craft for Goodyear and
the U. S. Navy.
Captain Hobensack would have
liked the weather better IL there
had been just q mite more wind
This pronouncement was received
with interest but without enthusi.
asm by the residents of Kenne-
wick who were obviously enjoying
the MINDLESS day.
With the passengers who
boarded the Volunteer for the
first of It's several flights, were
Brick Oliver. Kennewick Good.
year dealer, Johnny Sauyers,
Twin City Airport Manager, Rolfe
w. Tuve and Ross Frank, presi-
dent and secretary-manager res
oectively of the Kennewick Cham
Der of Commerce.
Ground crewmen jumped 70
stations around the gondola, and
at a word Of command heaved
upward, starting the helium- filled
airship on its flight as kids pusl,
q SAC0 at AAAAASOP w 8AwS ~ - 8OOo
running start. Mayor ]. c. Pratt
and City Councilman Chuch
Neal, accompanied one of the
later flights.
For all its appearance o,
stateliness in flight, the Volunteer
cruises at SIS knots an hour, 9
pace than can be stopped up tt
20.
The blimp is $50 feet long, i,
inflated with $4,000 cubic fee
Of helium, and carries 6 passen.
gers and pilot.
Two 145 HIP engines powered
its forward flight, and they lool
as though they might have a 10;
to do with the steering. However
Captain Hobensack calls attention
to the movable surfaces at the
rear. These, he says, are the con.
trolls that direct the ships course
Crowds of Kennewick residents
visited Twin City Airport Satur-
day evening to inspect the volun-
teer. On the following morning,
Captain Hobensack and party
were aloft again, bound for Port
land, and from there to Olympia.
Seattle and other northwest