2nd Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race
| Event names | 2nd Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race |
|---|---|
| Event type | exhibition |
| Country | US |
| Locations | St. Louis |
| Start date | October 21, 1907 |
| Number of days | 2 |
| Tech focus | LTA |
| Participants |
Gas was supposed by Laclede Gas Light Company, which promised to supply extra-light-weight gas. The New York Herald supplied telegrams to the balloons, with the idea that they could be dropped along the way to supply news.[1][2]
Due to bad health, Frank Lahm, Jr. withdrew from the race and was replaced by his former copilot, Major Henry B. Hersey from the U.S. Army weather office.[1]
Oskar Erbslöh of Germany, with American Henry Helm Clayton, a meteorologist, won the race, traveling 1403.55 km in 40 hours. In second place were Albert Leblanc of France and Edgar W. Mix.[1]
The event served as the impetus for forming the Aero Club of St. Louis, according to that club's secretary, John W. Kearney.[3]
Publications referring to 2nd Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race
- Publication 3133, 1906, La Coupe Gordon-Bennett (Simple title: The Gordon Bennett Cup, Journal: Ill. Aër. Mitt.)
- Publication 1321, 1907, Balloon logs of the Gordon-Bennett race (Simple title: Balloon logs of the Gordon-Bennett race, Journal: American Aeronaut)
- Publication 136, 1907, Aero Club of New England (Simple title: Aero Club of New England, Journal: American Aeronaut)
- Publication 5366, 1907, Gordon-Bennett race (Simple title: Gordon-Bennett race, Journal: Amer. Mag. Aeronautics)
- Bishop, 1907, Preface. The Aero Club of America (Simple title: Preface. The Aero Club of America, Journal: Nav. the Air)
- Bishop, 1907, Gordon-Bennett Fliegen in St. Louis (Simple title: Gordon-Bennett flying in St. Louis, Journal: Ill. Aër. Mitt.)
- Publication 125, 1907, Aero Club of America (Simple title: Aero Club of America, Journal: Amer. Mag. Aeronautics)
- Dienstbach, 1907, The second Gordon-Bennett race (Simple title: The second Gordon-Bennett race, Journal: American Aeronaut and Aerostatist)
- Hersey, 1908, Experiences In the sky (Simple title: Experiences In the sky, Journal: Century Mag.)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ulrich Hohmann Sr., "2nd Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett - St. Louis (USA) 1907", presumably translated or abridged from Die Gordon Bennett Ballon Rennen, at FAI website.
- ↑ Dienstbach, 1907, The second Gordon-Bennett race, p. 13. "The lightest coal gas ever used in ballooning, the mains, the valves, the pressure,—all served to establish a new mark for extraordinarily quick inflating."
- ↑ J. W. Kearney, "The Aero Club of St. Louis", American Magazine of Aeronautics Vol. 1, No. 1, July 1907. "The Aero Club of St. Louis was formed the early part of this year and is the direct result of this city's having been selected as the place for holding the contest for the James Gordon Bennett International Aeronautic Cup. When the officials of the Aero Club of America decided on St. Louis as a place for holding the race, it was suggested that an Aero Club be organized to take charge of the preliminaries and do whatever work was necessary in conjunction with the affair."
Links
- Photo gallery: "St. Louis is Full of Hot Air", Missouri History Museum
