The Gothic Goose

"Never have so little given so much."

Billy Falls From the Goose. Again.

The Gothic Goose was Mr. Balloney's and the world's first powered aircraft. He beat the Wrights "achievement" by 23 minutes. Mr. Balloney also pioneered safety devices in aircraft. He's seen here in one of his many falls from his Goose prior to his in-flight restraint system.

He developed the first restraint system for an aircraft. Unfortunately, 50lb lead weights attached to his knees made it impossible for his plane to fly.

Then he hit upon using nails driven through his legs. This method had it's drawbacks, and finally he came up with his screw down hip calipers. This was the device that allowed him to fly more than a few minutes without falling out of his ship.

Modern aviation was born.