Eduardo Bradley
| Eduardo Bradley | |
|---|---|
Portrait
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| Born |
Eduardo Bradley April 9, 1887 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Died | June 3, 1951 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Resting place | Cementerio de la Recoleta |
| Nationality | Argentina |
| Occupation | aviator |
| Known for | Crossing of the Andean on Hydrogen Balloon |
| Predecessor | Jorge Newbery |
| Spouse(s) | Agueda Barrera Nicolson |
| Children | Agueda Bradley - Eduardo Bradley - Noemi Susana Bradley |
| Relatives | Julio Bradley, Carlos Bradley Eduardo Montes-Bradley, Ricardo Ernesto Montes i Bradley |
Eduardo Bradley (1887–1951) was an Argentine pilot and balloonist who in 1916 made the first balloon crossing of the Andes. He was a leading figure in the founding of civil aviation in South America.
Born in the city of La Plata, Argentina on April 9, 1887, Bradley was the son of Tomás Bradley Sutton, veteran of the Paraguayan War, and Mary Hayes O’Callaghan. He began his pilot's career alongside Jorge Newbery. His brevet was the first issued following the newly created regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Shortly after Newbery's death in 1914, he set out to honor his late friend by attempting to cross the Andes in an aerostat. Already an experienced balloonist, Bradley had made over one hundred ascensions and set records for altitude (6,900 meters), flight duration (28 hours, 10 minutes), and distance covered in-flight (900 km, to Rio Grande do Sul from Buenos Aires).
Preliminary studies had determined the crossing should be eastbound, which was the direction the winds carried at the altitude required. This later required 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 turned out to be usable, the hydrogen-producing gear was absolutely worthless. The larger of the two balloons, named Eduardo Newbery (after an Argentine aviation pioneer), was chosen by Bradley for the flight. The second balloon, named Teniente Origone, was used for testing prior to the actual crossing of the Andes.
Bradley's first choice for co-pilot was Julio Crespo Vivot, a seasoned aviator with whom he had flown while setting the record for altitude, but Vivot refused to come along on the adventure. In his stead, Bradley selected Angel María Zuloaga, a young army lieutenant.
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