Eduardo Bradley

Eduardo Bradley, Born in the city of La Plata, Argentina, on April 9, 1887 embodied the Spirit of Aviation in Argentina where he was a major contributor in the funding of civil aviation. The son of Tomás Bradley Sutton, veteran of the Paraguayan War and of Mary Hayes O’Callaghan. Eduardo Bradley begun his pilot career next to veteran aviator Jorge Newbery. Bradley brevet´s was the first issued following the newly created regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Shortly after Newbery's death in 1914, Eduardo Bradley set forth to honor his late friend by attempting to cross the Andean in an aerostat. Bradley was already an experienced balloonist with over one hundred ascensions and proven records of altitude: (6.900m); endurance on flight (28h10min) and distance covered in-flight (900Km, to Rio Grande do Sul from Buenos Aires).

Crossing of the Andes

Preliminary studies had determined the crossing should be Eastbound, which was the direction the winds carried at the altitude required. This later implied moving to Santiago de Chile to make the necessary arrangements. Eduardo Bradley presented his plans to Aero Club Argentino, which eventually provided two balloons and the necessary gear to produce high volumes of hydrogen. Although the balloons turn out to be useful, the hydrogen producing gear was absolutely worthless. Of the two balloons the one named “Eduardo Newbery” was the largest and the one chosen by Bradley for the odyssey at hand. The second balloon, named “Teniente Origone”, was used for testing prior to the actual crossing of the Andean. Bradley’s firs choice for co-pilot was Julio Crespo Vivot, a seasoned aviator who had already flown with Bradley when the later obtained the record of altitude. Crespo Vivot’s refusal to come along on the adventure turn Bradley’s interest towards a young Army Liutenant by the name of Angel María Zuloaga.

Once in Chile the crew had serious difficulties with the generation of hydrogen due to the accidental loss of most of the Sulfuric Acid imported from Argentina. Bradley decided then and there to resort to coal gas produced in Chile and readily available with a high percentage of hydrogen. The odyssey would have been impossible without the determination of the Chileans authorities which responded to every request for better support from Bradley’s native Argentina. The crossing of the Andean Mountains on an aerostat filled with coal gas was finally accomplish successfully on June 24, 1916. At an altitude of 8.100m; the temperature dropped to -30°C. The adventure lasted three and a half hours from the moment of lifting in Santiago until the “Eduardo Newbery” landed in Cerro de la Cepa, Uspallata, Mendoza, Argentina.

After the facts

Bradley and Zuloaga, were welcomed in Argentina as National Heroes. The years following the crossing of the Andean were dedicated by Bradley to develop the local civil aviation industry to which he devoted the rest of his life. He pioneer NYRBA in Argentina, a company founded by Ralph O’Neil; was manager for Pan American Grace Airways and later president of Pan-American Argentina.On September 4, 1929 Eduardo Bradley becomes the first passenger on a direct fly from Buenos Aires to Miami on a fly of Pan American. The journey lasted 56 hours. The purpose of his visit to the US was to compete for a second time in the Gordon Bennet. Eduardo Bradley died in Buenos Aires on May 4, 1951. He’s buried in the Cementerio de la Recoleta.

Bibliography

* "Más liviano que el aire. Eduardo Bradley" (Lighter Than Air) Historias con globos, by Nelson Montes-Bradley. Xlibris, Philadelphia, USA, 2007
* "Una vida en las alturas." Memorias del autor. by Washington Bradley. Editorial Dunken, Buenos Aires, 2004
* "Jorge Newbery, el conquistador del espacio." by Raúl Larra. Editorial Futuro, Buenos Aires, 1960
* "La aerostación argentina y sus precursores." by Julio Víctor Lirón. Buenos Aires, 1958.
* "La victoria de las alas. Historia de la aviación argentina." by Ángel MaríaZuloaga. El Ateneo. Buenos Aires, 1948
* "La Travesía de los Andes en Globo." by Eduardo Bradley. Imprenta Argentina Jacobo Peuser, Buenos Aires, 1916

External References

[http://www.coupegordonbennett.org/ Gordon Bennet]