he displaces. The handling party needs considerable
training, as in gusty weather the safety of the ship depends to a great
extent upon its skill in handling her. The ship approaches the
handling party head to wind and the trail rope is dropped; it is taken
by the handling party and led through a block secured to the ground and
the ship is slowly hauled down. When near the ground the handling
party seize the guys which are attached to the ship at suitable points,
other detachments also support the car or cars, as the case may be, and
the ship can then be taken into the shed.

In the case of large airships the size of the handling party has to be
increased and mechanical traction is also at times employed.

As long as the airship is kept head to wind, handling on the ground
presents little difficulty; on many occasions, however, unless the shed
is revolving, as is the case on certain stations in Germany, the wind
will be found to be blowing across the entrance to the shed. The ship
will then have to be turned, and during this operation, unless great
discretion is used, serious trouble may be experienced.

Many experiments have been and are still being conducted to determine
the best method of mooring airships in the open. These will be
described and discussed at some length in the chapter devoted to the
airship of the future.

During flight certain details require attention, and carelessness on
the pilot's part, even on the calmest of days, may lead to disaster.
The valves and especially the gas valves should be continually tested,
as on occasions they have been known to jam, and the loss of gas has
not been discovered until the ship had become unduly heavy.

Pressure should be kept as constant as possible. Most airships work up
to 30 millimetres as a maximum and 15 millimetres as a minimum flying
pressure. During a descent the pressure should be watched
continuously, as it may fall so low as to cause the nose to blow in.
This will right itself when the speed is reduced or the pressure is
raised, but there is always the danger of the envelope becoming
punctured by the bow stiffeners when this occurs.

HOUSING ACCOMMODATION FOR AIRSHIPS, ETC.

During the early days of the war, when stations were being equipped,
the small type of airship was the only one we possessed. The sheds to
accommodate them were constructed of wood both for cheapness and speed
of construction and erection. These early sheds were all