Alberto Santos-Dumont

“ It is not easy to say before one has made the attempt how long the trip would take, but with powerful machinery the speed would be great, and the time taken at present between Europe and America would certainly be considerably shortened. I do not regard it as impossible that with a strong and steady wind behind him—such as frequently sweeps across the Atlantic—an aeronaut should do the journey between Paris and New York in two days. ”

“ If I can obtain good hydrogen on the Riviera, I shall be able to carry 200 pounds of petroleum, which would provide ample fuel to keep the motor working for 15 hours. To cross the Atlantic is only a question of multiplying these conditions. I believe it could be done with a smaller balloon than that with which Zeppelin experimented on the Lake of Geneva. A powerful motor, giving several hundred horse-power, would be necessary, but big motors are lighter in proportion than small ones, and a suitable motor could doubtless be made. ”

“ For a long journey like that between Europe and America you would require a powerful balloon, capable of resisting a certain amount of rough weather and able to rise and fall easily, so that the aeronaut could seek his own currents. If you rise to a height of 5.000 yards from the ground, you are almost certain to find currents going in any direction you wish, and a skilful balloonist, once he found the current he wanted, would simply travel with it and utilize it to help him on his way. ”