1930 National Balloon Elimination Race [Cover]
Name/Title
1930 National Balloon Elimination Race [Cover]Description
Carried on the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce Balloon in the National Balloon Elimination Races of July 4, 1930 from Houston to Talco, Texas, having traveled 283 miles. Stamped "FLOWN TO TALCO, TEXAS" and signed on the bottom left of cover by the pilot, C.H. Roth.Context
The Gordon Bennett Cup (or Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett) is the world's oldest gas balloon race, and is "regarded as the premier event of world balloon racing." Referred to as the "Blue Ribbon" of aeronautics, the first race started from Paris, France, on September 30, 1906. The event was sponsored by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the millionaire sportsman and owner of the New York Herald newspaper. According to the organizers, the aim of the contest "is simple: to fly the furthest distance from the launch site." Only once before, in 1927, during the 21 years this annual race has been staged, have so many entries signed up for the start. The Army and Navy are both entering three balloons. Detroit is contributing four entries. New York, Cleveland, Akron, and Clayton, Missouri are entering one a piece. From these fifteen entries would be chosen the two balloons which, with the winner of last year’s International Race, were to form the American team for the September 1, 1930 Gordon Bennett Trophy International Race in Cleveland, Ohio.Category
Sports
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