The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 8, Ed. 1, Friday, October 30, 1964 Page: 2 of 8
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FACE 2
THE OPTIMIST
OCTOBER 38. 1M4.
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Blimp Flight Is Slow Smooth
Quiet And Heavier Than Air
By BILLIE SILVEY
How would you like to go up
in a blimp? j
I did recently when Goodyear
Tire & Rubbdr Company brought
the Columbld one fit their two
public relations blimps to Abi-
lene as a part ol a" state-wide
advertising and public service
program.
The blimp was moored at Abi-
lene Municipal Airport during its
3-day stay here and the wind
was blowing hard as it always
seems to blow at an'alrport when
we arrived there.
As the Columbia started in to
pick us up one of the members
of the ground crew ran out with
a portable sock to check the di-
rection of the wind. Dee Model-
ler a reporter for the local
newspaper and one of my fellow
blimp-riders commented that it
looked as if the man were run-
ning out to catch the blimp in a
butterfly net.
But as the ship came down it
became obvious that no butterfly
net could hold it. Larger than it
looks airborne the Columbia Is
160 feet long and about five
stories high.
Acting like daring reporters
and feeling like scared little girls
Dee and I approached the big
silver fish with photographer
Jimmy Parsons and Abilcnians
Boyce Sims and J. C. Hooker for
what would be for each of us our
first blimp ride.
Our pilot R. T. Belottl had
been trained in the Navy and is
one of eight active blimp pilots
in the nation.
He proved to be not only a
good pilot but also a man of
amazing patience as he spent the
hour of our flight answering the
barrage of questions that only
female reporters could think to
ask.
I got in and sat behind him as
he started the engines of the
huge machine. Two windows at
the sides of the "car" were open
and the wind was strong. The
members of the ground crew that
had been holding the blimp down
by ropes let go and we were
off.
Once in the air the peculiar
feel of the blimp became obvious
in its slow movement and smooth
ride. The sound of the two 175-
' horsepower engines seemed softer
than a private plane.
Although a blimp is generally
considered an LTA (Ughter-than-air)
vehicle weights had been
added to the Columbia so that at
takeoff she was about 100 pounds
heavier than air.
Biology Course .
Changes Made .
The faculty of the Biology De-
partment this week announced'
a scries of changes in their offer-
ing effective next semester.
Biology 401 formerly botany
and zoology is now confined to
the subject of botany. Biology
402 formerly human biology
now treats on zoology.
A new course Biology 430
deals with anatomy and physi-
cology and has been established
for those who need human bi-
ology. Under the new system P.E.
majors will be required to take
Biology 402 and the new 430 and
home economics majors will take'
only the elementary 430 and the
advanced 353 a microbiology
that has always been a require-
ment for the major.
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R. T. BELOTTI. one of the eight active blimp pilots in the
United States shows his ship to Kay Burton Sunray sopho-
more and Sam Morse Pasadena Tex. senior.
The pilot explained that this
was done for the safety of the
passengers and that during our
hour flight the engines would
burn 10 gallons or GO lbs of fuel.
The tanks on the blimp have a
200-gallon capacity.
We flew over the city at about
1000 feet and crossed the cam-
pus several times. The view was
extremely clear and the pilot said
that if we yelled out of the win-
dow we could be heard from the
ground.
A surprising sensation of the
flight was the fact that from the
"car" it was hard to remember
that all that balloon was up there.
Only the ropes dangling- dawn in
front and an occasional glimpse
of the dark underside of the air
sack could be seen to remind one
that he was not in a station
wagon in the air.
Several times over the city the
pilot cut the engines and we hung
suspended awed at the silence.
Generally however we flew at
35 miles per hour.
The helium "capacity of the
blimp Is 147300 cubit feet. But
surprising to me the balloon is
not completely filled with helium.
About 26 per cent of its volume
is taken up by two air- sacks
which regulate their own pres-
sures by a valve located under
the balloon and two air scoops
located on cither side.
Blimps can take off by either
of two principles dynamic lift
(with engines) or static lift
(when lighter than air).
While in the air they are con-
trolled by an elevator wheel at
the pilot's side and rudder pedals
on the floor.
There are no sent belts In a
blimp a fact that became ob-
vious as we started in for a
landing. The airship descended
at such an angle that Jimmy's
camera which had been resting
on the floor slid down under
Dee's feet.
But wo soon levelled off and
felt another jerk ns the men
grabbed for the ropes to hold us
down. e
Again on solid ground we re-
ceived cards ' making us official
members of the Blimp Club a
fairly exclusive honor consider-
ing that the two blimps owned
by Goodyear arc the only ones
in operation in the United States.
Then realizing that I was late
to my French class I jumped into
our car and flew back to the
campus at a somewhat faster rate
than we had flown in the blimp.
-- r -
State Association
Elects Mrs. Mosier
To Vice Presidency
Mrs. Bert Mosier assistant
professor of business administra-
tion was elected vice-president
of the Texas Business Education
Association at lis convention in
San Antonio last week.
The convention was held in
conjunction with the Texas State
Teachers Association convention.
Other officers elected include
J. B. Johnson Fort Worth pres-
ident; Miss Annie Lee Knox
Beaumont recording secretary;
Mrs. Mancttc Jeans Waco treas-
urer; Mrs. Zclma Cook Lufkin
historian; and Mrs. Bessie For-
tenberry Beaumont reporter.
Mrs. Mosier Is also chairman
of the Teacher Education Sub-
committee sponsored by TBEA
to study problems of teachers in
Texas.
She and her husband head of
the industrial education depart-
ment have been at ACC since
1055.
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So. m far Kodak Film ...
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YKn your plctuiti are ttkon.
Templeton's Pharmacy
Estate Planning Seminar
Is Today; Students Invited
Students arc invited to today's
Estate Planning Conference co-
sponsored by ACC at the Starlite
Motor Hotel on South 1st Street
roles of life underwriters ac
countants lawyers and bank trust
officers;in setting up- trusts nd
.esta.lcs
Tickets for students Are $1
which includes a noon luncheon.
The conference began at 0:30
a.m. and will run until 4 p.m.
Each of the above named pro-
fessions will be represented by a
distinguished lecturer according
to Overton Faubus C.P.A. head
of the ACC business administra-
tion department.
Co-sponsoring the event with
Board Meeting
Set Next Friday
The Abilene Christian College
Board of Trustees will have its
fall meeting Friday afternoon.
B Sherrod of Burcham Dam
president of the board will pre-
side over the meeting. The mem-
bers of the National Develop-
ment Council and the Advisory
Board have also been invited to
attend the meeting.
The wives of the board mem-
bers will meet in the cast parlor
of Gardner Hall for a social.
Mrs. O. M. McGlnty of the
speech department and Richard
Fulton of the music department
will present the entertainment.
Dr. Southern Attends
Mental Health Meeting
Dr. Paul Southern was in Hous-
ton last week attending the an-
nual conference of the Texas As-
sociation for Mental Health.
As one of the official delegates
of the Abilene association he re-
ported to them on the plan for a
pilot program in the interest of
a Family Service Council to be
organized in Abilene.
h.i.s.
SPORTSWEAR
found in the
Briar Shop at
DOWNTOWN t RIVER OAKS VIUAOE
CAMPUS HEADQUARTERS
for
h.i.s
POST GRADS
CALEB REED'S
1230 N. 3rd
fc9uKBE VQS
ACC arc the Abilene Association
of Life Underwriters the Abilene
Business and Estate Planning
Council and the West Texas
Chapter of the American Society
of Chartered Xlfe Underwriter.
Lecturers for "the program re
Grirdon B. Carpenter ylce pna-
ident and trust officer of tho
First National Bank of balls ;
Edward J. Mlntz of Salinas Calif.
a chartered life underwriter witti
the New York Life Insurance Co.;
Billy M. Mann C.P.A. of Foii
Worth partner In the accounting
firm of Arthur Anderson & Co.;
and Harold G Wren law .profes-
sor at Southern Methodist University.
you're
positively
diabolical
5p
Post-Grad
slacks by
h.i.s
Adevilish gleam will come into
your eyes when you assume
the lean and lethal pose that
these pants give you. They
trim you up and taper you
down. Post-Grads are the ne
Elus ultra of campus styles
ecause they're absolutely
authentic. Neat belt loops
Narrow-but-not.too-narrow
cuffs. Shaped on-seam pock
ets tou can iook satanic tor
a pittance since they cost but
$6.98 a pair in 65 Dacron1
35 Cotton. Buy 'em and
hissssl
DaPont's Reg.TM for III Polyester Fiber
s
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 8, Ed. 1, Friday, October 30, 1964, newspaper, October 30, 1964; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99355/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.