I was reading some of the new rules over on Airliners.net about how they are officially accommodating Balloon and Space photography. It sounds good to me, but it got me thinking.
Now, to say that "Airliners.net is a site only for aviation photography" is technically an assumption. They can be a photo database for whatever kind of photography they choose and define from there. Clearly, the "airliner" domain does not limit them just to airliners. However, I feel that "aviation" photography in general is the agreed upon category for the site's photo submissions.
However, I don't understand the balloon thing. I don't know how you folks would define aviation, but to me, just going into the air does not make it a craft of aviation if you can't steer it. As for as I'm concerned, and I'm not mocking it, hot-air balloons pertain as much to aviation as catapults.
I was trying to think of the definition of aviation. At first I thought that a craft of aviation would have to have wings, but I imagined something like a flying saucer, which doesn't have wings, but I still consider that aviation, so that's out. Then I thought that it would require propulsion, but then that would rule out gliders, and I do think that's aviation. However, all of those have two things in common....control and aerodynamic lift.
Going by my definition, Hot Air Balloon are not crafts of aviation.
Just my opinion. What's yours? How would you define a craft of aviation, and would a Hot Air Balloon be considered one?
