Nov. 2018 Fall 2018 Issue No. 12
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www.ltaflightmagazine.com Issue No. 12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 # Content Page Looking Back: The First Crossing of the Atlantic by Men in 1 2 a Balloon 2 Poland Wins Gas Balloon Race; USA-2 Finishes Second 5 Museum Highlights Advances in Science and Technology 3 9 by Balloonists 4 Joe Kittinger: First Man to Jump from Space 11 NASA's Future Mission to Venus -- Humans in Floating 5 17 Airships? 6 The First Human Flight Was by a Balloon, 235 Years Ago 19 Office Location: Maryland, USA Contact Information: Sitara Maruf Phone: (240) 426-2040 Emails: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.ltaflightmagazine.com Issue No.12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 1) Looking Back: The First Crossing of the Atlantic by amateur radio operator in England. Men in a Balloon The flight tested the pilots’ resolve, by Sitara Maruf, 7th Sep. 2018 patience, and friendship and they went through many tense moments. Half way through the flight, their balloon was caught in an avalanche of air and plunged from 23,500 feet to about 4,000 feet. The drop was arrested by throwing off food, water, and other important and expensive items overboard. As they struggled against storms and cold, they tossed 95% of the equipment and ballast, including Newman’s hang glider. They brought the huge transatlantic balloon down in a barley field, in the village of Miserey, in France, on August 17, 1978 – six days after leaving the United States. Sleeping three-hour shifts, they had maneuvered the aircraft for 137 hours, 5 minutes, and 30 seconds and had flown 3,120 miles. Their supplemental oxygen was over, and they had only 250 pounds of On August 11, 1978, three American adventure. Nobody had attempted the ballast. balloonists Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, crossing for the second time except for and Larry Newman lifted off in their Abruzzo and Anderson. Thousands of people and journalists greeted balloon Double Eagle II from Presque Isle, them as they landed, and the pilots rose to in Maine, United States, to take on the They launched in an open unpressurized 6 international fame. On August 26, when challenge of crossing the Atlantic Ocean. x 8.5 ft. gondola, suspended beneath a they returned to their hometown helium gas balloon, about sixty-five feet in Albuquerque, in New Mexico, 15,000 fans Abruzzo and Anderson had also attempted diameter and ninety-seven feet high. Fully had gathered to greet them, and 60 hot-air the feat in the previous year, but they were inflated the balloon stood as tall as an balloons lined the route from the airport to caught by storms, blown off course, and had eleven-story building. The gondola was the Civic Center, while six balloons floated nearly died from exposure. On that first packed with 6,240 pounds of equipment, overhead. attempt, they had to ditch the balloon in the food, water, and ballast. North Atlantic and were rescued by U.S. President Jimmy Carter sent them a Iceland’s Coast Guard. Undaunted, they Wearing heavy clothing against the cold, congratulatory telegram. “On behalf of the had taken off again, this time with Larry they also had to use oxygen masks American people, I salute your triumphant Newman, an accomplished hang glider. whenever the balloon climbed above adventure,” it said. In June 1979, the U.S. 15,000 feet. Weather data from their ground Congress presented gold medals to Crossing an ocean in a balloon is a crew helped the pilots to vary the altitude of Anderson, Abruzzo, and Newman in dangerous physical challenge that requires the balloon and take advantage of changing recognition of their singular great courage, endurance, skills, wind conditions. However, the high accomplishment. Along with achieving the resourcefulness, and luck. Sixteen previous frequency radios did not work, and long-cherished dream of balloonists to cross attempts to cross the Atlantic had failed and Newman communicated with mission the Atlantic, they had also set new records five balloonists had perished in the control through a network, set up by an for both duration and distance. 2/22 © Sitara Maruf, LTA-Flight Magazine Issue No.12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 The Double Eagle II during its transatlantic flight in 1978. From the National Air and Space Museum collection Maxie Anderson, Ben Abruzzo, and Larry Newman on The Double Eagle II during its transatlantic flight in 1978. From the National arrival in France. Air and Space Museum collection Courtesy of the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum (AAAIBM) 3/22 © Sitara Maruf, LTA-Flight Magazine Issue No.12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 Ben Abruzzo, Larry Newman and Maxie Anderson with their medals from the U.S. Congress. Courtesy of the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum (AAAIBM) But the Atlantic crossing was not the last of Sadly, Anderson and Abruzzo, both passed Like some of their predecessors, Anderson, their ballooning adventures. away in flight accidents. Maxie Anderson Abruzzo, and Newman had taken and Don Ida were killed in Germany, on ballooning to a new level, and other In 1979, Abruzzo and Anderson took off in June 27, 1983, while competing in the balloonists followed suit to meet greater Double Eagle III and won the Gordon Gordon Bennett balloon race. And, challenges of distance, altitude, stamina, Bennett gas balloon race. And on Abruzzo died when the plane he was and speed. November 12, 1981, Abruzzo and Newman piloting crashed in Albuquerque on along with team members Ron Clark and February 11, 1985. Rocky Aoki accomplished the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean in Double Eagle V. 4/22 © Sitara Maruf, LTA-Flight Magazine Issue No.12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 2) Poland Wins Gas Balloon Race; USA-2 Finishes Second it to fifth, then fourth, and finally third place after traveling 840.59 kilometers. A number by Sitara Maruf, 1st Oct. 2018 of other teams took a third approach and followed a south-westerly flow to land in France. Markus Haggeney, Event Director summed up the thoughts of those following the race. “The Gordon Bennett HQ has never seen three such different strategies. It’s meteorological skills and pilot skills at their best. Congratulations to all the pilots.” The teams will all make their way back to Bern for the prize-giving ceremony, which will take place on Saturday 6th October. The Poland 2 team will return to Bern to collect their trophies and enjoy a gala dinner in celebration of their success. A Polish team has flown their gas balloon minutes aloft! They plotted a rather 1145.29 kilometers from Bern, different track and followed a south- Switzerland, without touching down, easterly direction to land in Salerno, Italy. achieving the furthest distance from take- off and winning the 2018 Coupe It was a thrilling race, with the Aéronautique Gordon Bennett. meteorological conditions offering three different options to the teams’ navigators, The Poland 2 crew - Mateusz Rekas and and the balloons dispersed across Europe. Jacek Bogadanski, both regulars in the The twenty gas balloons took off on Friday legendary balloon race – combined years of 28th September, but only the German 1 flying experience to use the weather team flew in the same north-easterly systems to take a course across Germany direction as the Polish winners, after and into their home nation, flying for 2 originally starting in the opposite direction. days, 10 hours, and 28 minutes. (58 hours, 28 minutes). Flying for the longest time in this year’s competition (66 hours and 27 minutes), The USA-2 team of Andy Cayton and Bill people in Bern and those following the live Smith finished in 2nd place. They covered tracking watched with bated breath as 882.37 kilometers after 56 hours and 20 Matthias Zenge and Benjamin Eimers made 5/22 © Sitara Maruf, LTA-Flight Magazine Issue No.12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race 2018 Mateusz Rękas and Jacek Bogadanski at 3,800 meters in the 2018 Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race over Europe. Photo Credit: Rekas and Bogadanski GER 1-Benni and Matthias are taking selfies at 2500m over France. Thanks for the photos Benni and Mathias. 6/22 © Sitara Maruf, LTA-Flight Magazine Issue No.12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 GER 1-Benni and Matthias are taking selfies at 2500m over France 7/22 © Sitara Maruf, LTA-Flight Magazine Issue No.12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 View from their balloon flying over Europe. Photo Credit: Zenge and Eimers 8/22 © Sitara Maruf, LTA-Flight Magazine Issue No.12 Fall 2018 Sep. - Nov. 2018 3) Museum Highlights Advances in Science and frontiers and pushed the boundaries of performance through competition and Technology by Balloonists setting records; and they have enhanced, by Sitara Maruf, 9th Oct. 2018 preserved, and shared history, science, and technology for the benefit of each other, as well as the public, government, and private enterprise. "Without the efforts of these inductees," says Garver, "our understanding of aeronautics, the natural world, and the cosmos would be greatly diminished along with our potential as humans." The "Voyages of Discovery" section of the exhibition chronicles inductees who went beyond known frontiers, were the first to achieve unprecedented milestones and passed thresholds of earlier ballooning records. Technology is a major theme of the "Science of Flight" exhibit, which includes a section on airships that features the steering wheel from an early 20th-century dirigible. With an emphasis on the science, Ballooning Hall of Fame recognizes and "There are dozens of legendary aeronauts in technology, engineering, and math-related memorializes the accomplishments of these the International Ballooning Hall of Fame," contributions of world-renowned legendary aeronauts.