Flights & Flyers

Angel Cake. To be the first licensed woman balloonist and the first of her sex to enter the stratosphere is the ambition of Mrs. Jeannette Piccard, wife of Professor Jean Piccard, twin brother of Stratonaut Auguste. A Bryn Mawr graduate, holder of a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago, Mrs. Piccard is no amateur scientist. To win her license she must make three balloon flights with an instructor, one solo flight by day, one at night.

Last week for her maiden flight she rose before dawn, went with her husband to an airfield in Detroit. With famed Balloonist Edward J. Hill they took off at 5 a. m., drifted nine hr., came down with a bump in a field near Thamesville, Ont. 58 mi. away. Bruised when her companions landed on top of her, Balloonist Piccard was more concerned about an angel cake she had taken along. "I really don't know what happened to it," she said. "We didn't have a chance to eat it. I guess it got crushed."

Glory-Seekers. Up into the stratosphere last week soared the Bartsch von Sigsfeld, biggest balloon in Germany. Aboard were Dr. Hermann Victor Masuch, meteorologist, and Dr. Franz Martin Schrenk, pilot. Their purpose was to rise 32,800 ft., study cosmic rays, bring glory to the Reich. Next day scientist, pilot and balloon were reported missing. Day after in Russia, near the Latvian border, was found the wreckage of the Bartsch von Sigsfeld. In it was Meteorologist Masuch, dead. Nine miles away lay Pilot Schrenk, also dead.

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