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Here's Some Interestin photos of hot air balloons, people,
and historical balloonists
- This photo shows two balloons prior to liftoff.
The balloon in front of the other balloon belongs to my friends
Dan Fittzjarrald and Ruth Swann. This was the first inflation of
their new balloon.The second balloon belongs to Jim Holley. I got
my first balloon ride with Ruth and Dan and it was great ride. We
made 3 takeoffs and 3 soft landing during my flight across an area
from the Moontown Airport to the last landing site in a small field
south southeast of the North Huntsville Exective Airport
- This is photo of stratospheric balloon pioneer
Jean Picarrd.
- An Unmanned hydrogen-filled transperant
cellophane balloon being prepared to be launched from the stadium
at the University of Minnesotta on June 24,1936.This was one of
Dr.Jean Piccard's first projects at the University.
- Here's a photo of LT. Clifton McClure, USAF.
He was the pilot for the Manhigh III high alitiude balloon flight
on October 8, 1958. Shown here is the inner capsule that was placed
inside an outer shell that hung below the Balloon. This was the last
flight of the Manhigh series to put man in a space equivalent situation
with the smallest possible workspace and to provide additional workload
for a very stressing situation thus to determine how well a man could
cope under these conditions. His balloon began it's ascent at 06:51 AM
from Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, N.M. The balloon rose to an altitude
of 99,700 ft at 10:30 AM and he began his programed scientific and
experimetal tasks, and after a series of operational life threating
problems with his environmental control equipment,showing a testimonial
to the power of the human will, he continued to complete his tasks and
then safetly landed his balloon back on mother earth after a flight of
12 hours duration.
- Here's a photo of Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger,
USAF, as he is just beginning his "Long Lonely Leap" from the high
altitude balloon Excellsor III while it was floating at an altitude
of 102,800 feet on Aug.16, 1960. The balloon was made of polyethene
( two-thousandths of a inch in thickness). Kittenger had made two
previous jumps from the same type balloons at lower altitudes (74,400
and 76,400 feet )in preparation for this big leap to check out his
systems.
Last Modified: 2-7-2000
Otha H. Vaughan, Jr.
(skeetv@knology.net
