BYRD’S FLIGHT TO POLE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1926, Page 4

BYRD’S FLIGHT TO POLE

AVIATOR’S STORY OF TRIP. METHODS OF NAVIGATION. LONDON, dune 2. Lieut. Commander Richard E. B>ul, P.S.N.. who lias ilown over the North polar basin, and bplic-vos be is the jirsi man to reach, the Pole l>.v air. arrived in the Thames'- a few days ago, on board the Cliantior. the steamer of 23‘K) tons in which be sailed from Ncw York to Spitsbergen, the starting point, of his llight. Leaving Spitsbergen at. 12.37, Gieciiwicli mean time, on 9th. May, lie reached the Pole, SCO miles away, at 9.2 Greenwich time, roughly about 8* hours’ Hying- He remained at the Pole for 14 minutes before beginning the return journey, and remarked: “It is not necessary, with modern aviation navigation instruments, to stay for several hours in older to lot ate voi'.r position, especially when the sun is shining and the weather conditions are favourable.” .He explained to a reoresentative of ”1 lie limes that ho used the sun compass in order to keep an accurate check on his position. “I could not have hit the Pole with the ordinary compass alone before I made this trip, because 1 did not know the amount of variation, find even now it would be very difficult, but as I do know the Variation from experience 1. could now get very dose to it by the compass alone. AYe were very fortunate in having sun all the way! with the result that we could use the sun compass coSntiiiuously. and as this is perfectly steady I could always keep track of my position. Ihe visubility at 1000 ft. to 4000 ft. extended from 100 to 150 miles. AA'e could always see over all the circle with a radius ol 60 miles, and we saw from the aeroplane during the fight at least 100.000 square miles of Polar sea. On a conservative estimate, wo covered 10.000 square miles of unexplored regions. We saw no life anywhere, and the temperature at the Pole was just zero; but the average of the llight was from 6 to 7 degrees below zero.” AN OIL IjKAKAGE.

The aeroplane, a three-engined Fokker with air-cooled engines, got off from Spitzbergen on the flight, which lasted 15.1 hours, with a weight of 94001 b. It carried petrol for 22 hours ami had on 1)7) a rd concentrated provisions for 21' months, together wit) light but useful sledges in case of need. The motors ran perfectly until within an hour of the Pole, when there was an anxious time. Oil was leaking from the starboard motor, am it was doubtful whether it would not overheat- as it ran dry of oil. Commander Byrd said:—‘‘AA’e shut off the

starboard engine, and found that we could fiy quite safely on two of the motors, but naturally the speed was cut down. Having ascertained that, we opened lip the third motor again in order to fly with the full power as long as possible. Fortunately, as ii turned out, the leak in the oil tank was at a certain level, anti once the oil had got to that point we lost no more. ]. attribute our success in this respect largely to the engineering foresight of Lieut. G. 0. Lovile, who used a much heavier oil than one thought possible in the Arctic Circle, and by that means we made the most of our oil supply.” BENNETT’S HEROIC ACTION.

Lieut. Commander Byrd and his companions—Lieut, A- F. B. Parker, IT.S.M.C. (reserve pilot), Lieut. G. O. Lovill. U.S.N.'K.F. (engineer’s officer), and Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett, l .S.N. (pilot)—were entertained rt luncheon at the Royal Aero Club, in London., whose members wished to show their appreciation of a wonderful performance. "'Me started for the North Pole, damned fools that we were, with irnm ambition than brains’.” said the eommandei. A) lieu we wore living over ithe Arctic at an altitude of 7,060 feet Bennett wrote back to me and said that the engines were going konk. ]

then took the wheel. That old son < a gun walked out on the wings in that cold stream of air which froze nv nose in a minute, and unscrewed a cap which relieved the oil pressure. He saved both our lives by that heroic action.” Commander Byrd then described how the pilot managed to make the machine rise off the ground just afterwards by taxying it up the side of a hill.. “AA’e got eff tlie ground this time,” Ik? after wo Jiad gone a little way 1 saw that Bennett vas eating. ] then discovered that a heavy thermos barrel that T had thrown out was on board. Fellows had put pounds of weight on the .machine. One fellow had a ukulele,. and inside this n .fo\v,’,s harp. It weighed pounds. >rd, by gad, I would have thrown it out if I Intel seen it. T .subsequently found that there were American Legion (fags, and also the -Sors and Stripes on board. Lovill had put something heavy iindeijneatli the -gasolene tank, and another fellow put some Mexican coins in the hack. I had some extra sealskin boots, and some son of a gun had a pack of cards. Cod knows how wc got off! “AA'lien we were about an hour from the Role I noticed a leak in the starboard oil tank. I pointed out this to Bennett, who said, ‘This is a bad oil leak.’ He wrote down, ‘She will stop,’ and we were about an hour from the Pole! I was scared to death. I knew that if we came down there there would be no chance in the world ; 'wc would not got buck. I asked Bennett what

we should do, and that old son of a cook said, ‘AVe will go to the Pole first, and we will discuss what' to do next.’ AYe decided to go to the Pole and cut that motor out, and wo found tßut the ’plane would fly on two motors. \A’o got to the Pole, shook hands and smiled, took our calculations, and came back. That motor did not stop.” Comii'.pn.di’r Byrd mentioned that bis nose bad been frozen three times. ‘lt is a bell of a nose,” bo added, “but I would not like to lose it.”

To n “ Daily Mail ” representative Comandor Byrd expressed bis absolute conviction that the navigating instruments lie used were adequate and exact and that his machine passed over the Pole, lie said:—

“ A continuous line of observation was assured throughout, and flic instruments were- identical with the best equipment of a ship. A sky horizon net being possible, of course, I had an artificial lioriozn in the sextant. Near aval at the Pole the needle of the magnetic compass pointed towards our rear. AVitli the knowledge which has been acquired of the magnetic variation. it would now be possible to ‘hit’ til-.’ Polo very closely by this method. I relied oil a solar compass fr exactitude, and. as we had sunshine all the way, the result was infallible. The aeroplane was moving over and around the Pole for 14 minutes, during which it travelled 20 miles. That was more than ample for the purpose.” They had nil aperture in the bottom of the fuselage, lie sard, through, which they were able to work n drift indicator. and with the aid of that, the sun compass, and an artificial-horizon sextant. they were able to steer a good course and to know exactly- where they were at any moment. Locfking down over the Pole at the ujastes of snow and ice, there was no sign of life that they could see from the height of between 3006 and 4000 feet. * It was like looking down on a white tablecloth with a criss-cross pattern made by the pressure ridges caused by the ice, wl.iih was always moving.