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for another 10 miles before grinding to a halt. Everyone aboard was injured, but fortunately no one was killed. They had traveled 400 miles in 14 hours. Not the least bit discouraged, Nader repaired La Geant and continued giving rides in it for several more years.The most significant drawback to balloons was their inability to be steered. This meant they could only travel in the direction the wind was blowing. A resourceful Brazilian, Alberto Santos-Dumont, helped change that. Alberto came from a wealthy family of South American coffee producers, but spent most of his adult life living in Paris. Because he had studied physics, chemistry, mechanics, and electricity from a private tutor, he was able to build his first balloon, the Br%u00e9sil, fairly easily.After several flights in Br%u00e9sil, Santos-Dumont decided to focus his attention on the new steerable balloons, known as dirigibles. While his first designs didn%u2019t fair well, his Balloon No. 6 was a stunning success. In fact, it won the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize (100,000 franks) in 1901 by flying from the Parc Saint Cloud to the Eiffel Tower, and back, in less than 30 minutes. He negotiated the 6.8 mile course at an average speed of 14 mph.Winning the prize made Santos-Dumont an international celebrity. For years, he could be seen gliding just above the rooftops of Paris. Sometimes he deftly landed at a cafe, tied up his dirigible, and sat down for lunch. The locals affectionately dubbed the beloved five-foot-tall aviator le petit Santo, and copied his distinctive style of dress%u2014a high collared shirt and a Panama hat.In 1904, Alberto shipped his Airship No. 7 to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis to compete for a $100,000 prize by flying three round-trips over a 15-mile course at an average speed of 20 mph. However, when he arrived in Missouri, he discovered that his airship%u2019s envelope was irreparably damaged. While sabotage was suspected, it was never proven. He eventually designed 18 balloons and dirigibles, then turned his attention to fixed-winged aircraft, in which he was equally successful.After the St. Louis Fair, Alberto%u2019s friend, Louis Cartier created an early wristwatch just for him so he could check his flight performance while keeping both hands on the controls. Today, Cartier still markets a line of Santos-Dumont watches%u2014and Santos-Dumont sunglasses as well. A Zeppelin differs from a dirigible in that it has a rigid metal framework with inner bladders filled with lighter-than-air gas, usually helium or hy-