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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0394.PDF
MARCH 27, 1910 r FREE BALLOONING , A NOTABLE FACTOR IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE By Captain LANCE RUSHBRO'OKE, R.A.F. THE public at large is apt to regard the spherical balloons which they see drifting slowly across the skies as relics of a stage already passed in the evolution of aeronautics. Inevitably, the aeroplane, the seaplane and the airship, with their independent precision as means of aerial locomo tion, have gone far toward eliminating the operational uses of free balloons. For such military purposes as reconnais sance, transmission of messages or supplies, or even photo graphy, depending as they do absolutely upon favourable winds-, free balloons, as a matter of fact, were never of first- rate practical value, though there are, of course, instances on record of their successful use. During the Anjerican Civil War, for example, La Fontaiae carried out a reconnaissance over hostile lines, and by the greatest good luck managed to get back to his own lines by rising to a much greater height and striking a contrary air current. During the siege of Paris balloons were used on several occasions to carry out messages, passengers and pigeons. (Jenson, the astronomer, escaped in this manner for the purpose of observing an eclipse from Tripoli, and, of course, the historic escape of Gambetta from the befeagured French capital will be recalled.) Again, during the siege of Ladysmith, a moored Spherical balloon was used with con- j. siderable success for locating the'Boer artillery ; but this last and most valuable military operational use of the spherical balloon, has now been usurped by the introduction of the improved kite-balloons—the now familiar sausages—which have the advantage of being far more stable than the spherical type, and are capable of being flown in a gale blowing at 40 miles per hour. Yet the free balloon is far from Jseing obsolete, nor is it likely to become so. It plays an important part in the train ing curriculum of the Royal Arr*-Force, and every airship.; pilot and kite-balloon observer goes through a course at 4jhe R.A.F. free ballooning school. The primary object of this course is to ,tea$h the best \:-.. methods of navigating—and a good deal more is possible in . this respect than would be supposed by the layman—and oL landing a lighter-than-air craft. 1 It is really a provision against emergencies : one of those typical safeguards that the R.fLF. wisely insists upofi, both in training and actual work. The course/is included in order to equip the pilots and observers •with'fihe necessary con fluence and experience of handling .iheir craft, in the event of their breaking away from th£ir moorings, in the case of kite-balloons, or of engine failure in the case of an airship. a If the wind be blowing towards the enemy's lines, the only ; course open to a K.B. observer whose balloon has broken loose is to take to his parachute. But, on the other hand, if the wind be blowing from the enemy's lines, the first duty of the observer is to salve his craft. And, as the learner soon discovers, considerable skill is called for in the navigation and proper landing on suitable ground of a balloon. An airship which h:xs been disabled, as the result of engine failure caused either by enemy fire or—rare occurrence—by irremediable mechanical breakdown, becomes in effect a free balloon. The necessity of ballooning knowledge is the more apparent in such a case because the larger part of the work of such craft is carried out oversea, where a parachute offers no solution. Here, again, the craft which has become in effect a free balloon must be navigated until the shore is reached, and a careful landing made, if the craft is not to be wrecked. The R.A.F. free balloons used for this training purpose are of several sizes, carrying from one to eight passengers in the wicker basket suspended beneath. Round the sides hang the bags of sand ballast. Anyone used to aeroplanes at first misses the numerous " gadgets " that surround one in the cockpit of a 'plane. The basket appears strangely bare. Only three instruments are carried in a balloon :—The altimeter, which registers the height above sea level; the statascope, the bubble of which indicates whether the balloon is ascending or descending, and—the prime essential—a compass. The course of instruction normally consists of six flights. The officer under instruction makes his first four ascents entirely as a pupil. He watches the pilot in charge,/keeps a careful log of each journey, and follows the course on the map. Practical • map-reading, by the way, is another im portant subject which is taught by this course, and, travelling in a comparatively slow-moving balloon^, the novice finds it much easier to pick up landmarks and follow his course than « ;-3 he would were he doing it for the first time in an aeroplane moving at from 70 to 100 m.p.h. or more. On the fifth trip,the pupil, though still under the superin tendence of the pilot, handles the balloon himself. This is called his " pass-out " trip. Providing he has thoroughly satisfied the instructors as to his capability, he is then allowed to do his " solo." On this occasion he takes up the smallest size balloon, and manages the whole flight himself, navigating it, keeping the log, and landing it without assistance. By navigation is implied the finding of the most suitable air currents—which vary at different altitudes—and keeping the balloon at that altitude, so securing the best speed and direction possible. There is a very, real fascination about ballooning—due in part, it may be; to the uncertainty as to one's final destination, owing to possible changes in the wind—that strongly appeals to the adventurous spirit of youth. Apart from its practical value, it is a unique form of sport, and it makes enthusiasts of all who are engaged in it. On' the occasion of my last flight we ascended in a medium - sized balloon with four passengers—the instructors, a pupil on Kis second trip, another on his " pass-out," an air-mechanic and myself. One is hardly conscious.of motion, as, on the command, " Hands off," the little group of mechanics let go the lines, and the huge sphere of yellow fabric lifts the basket from the ground and soars upwards. Rapidly the people on the ground grow smaller, and, as the wind takes control the green of the balloon ground beneath' gives place to the roofs and chimneys of the neigh bouring houses. Women look up from their work and children stop their play to give a chfeery wave and shout a i shrill farewell as we pass over the narrow Streets. As we rise higher the wind freshens. Not that we can feel it, moving 1 with it as we do. v;,lt is a feature of ballooning that, even when travelling at 5<Fm.p.h., the lash of wind on one's face, felt-'in an aeroplane; or even in a motor ear, is never experi enced. As a consequence, unless |he'balloon is fairly loir and one is looking at the ground beneath, there is no sensation* of speed. Down below is the winding Thames. We cross near a bridge. First the reservoirs are a prominent feature, and then the allotments on every little piece of spare ground. One notes a network of railway lines converging upon a large junction, and we pass 1,500 ft. over Willesden. Houses become less close-set, and presently their monotonous lines give place to a patchwork of fields and hedges as we pase over the outer suburbs. Right ahead, a notable landmark, we see Harrow-on-the-Hill. Leaving it on our left, we look down upon a floor of house roofs in crossing Wealdstone. We are travelling well now, and with a wind that we find most steady at between 1,000 and 1,500 ft. As soon as we are clear of the houses the trail rope is thrown out. This is exactly 300 ft. long, and in descent acts as a check upon the altimeter, for that instrument registers »nly our height above sea-level. Thus, youv altimeter may show 600 ft. when the end of your trail Tope; almost on the ground, proves your actual height from -that particular part of the earth to be little more than 300. Also, when landing, it checks too sudden a descent by acting as ballast as more of the weight of the heavy rope is taken up by the ground, and, thirdly, it makes it easier to take the exact course by compass. It is strangely still and peaceful up here, a wonderful contrast with the roar and rush of an aeroplane. All the sound's of the countryside come floating up as we sail placidly overhead. The lowing of cattle, the song of birds, and the excited clucking of poultry as they scatter from the patfc of our approach, many hundreds of feet above them. We are losing height a little, and the " pass-out," with his eye orf the altimeter, throws over the contents of a bag of ballast. The sand falls slowly, and, tailing out in a yellow streak,!is lost to view before it reaches the ground. The roe*' of a distant train marks our approach to a railway. Rivers, canals, roads, villages and towns float below us in a fascinating and multi-coloured panorama. In a balloon one has leisure to appreciate such details. I noticed with particular interest the yellow and russet brown circles formed by fallen leaves round every'tree, i . . " ' •> • - "' j* Then the rain came. As the weight of the water an *fce balloon -increased we lost height rapidly. Bag after bag «i ballast had to be emptied at irregular intervals. Agai« ,*e 394
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