BYRD’S EXPEDITION

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1929, Page 3

BYRD’S EXPEDITION

LANDING THE AEROPLANE. (By Telegraph—Press Association). (By Russell Owen—Copyrighted 1928 by the New Y'ork Times Company, and St, Louts Post Dispatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout file world. Wire l ess to New York Times.) BAY OF WHALES, Jail. 15. “All is quiet. Monsters of the silent white land looked down to-day on a new phenomenon, which appeared to challenge them. The slim graceful shape, with its blue outstretched wings was, set down on the ice and is now roaring and spurting snow behind at. In a - few hours it will be winging its way above impassable cliffs and, over ice, across which man has trudged painfully to gain a few miles, that they might know something of the Antarctic, that land which has wrecked so many hopes and taken so many Jives; for it is the first aeroplane to wing its way over. the continent, because Graham Land lias proved to be an island aiid not an integral part of this mysterious country. The plane is called • and. Stripes.” “Just by cliauco, or because crates fitted it, it was that the plane .significant of Americans furtherost south in the Antarctic, which was first brought dow ; ji here by the Byrd Expedition. It was a day of gratification and jubiliation to men who..have carried boxes and crates, -hauled goods and supplies by dogs and human hands for miles. They worked with broken lips and skin and sore eyes from blindness, worked till they could hardly see with fatigue. . “The graceful creature of the air was rigged and slipped over the side to-day without a hitch and when under the push bv many hands it slid out into the smooth white surface uninjured, and carrying with it all the holies of many months, a great cheer went up, that was so spontaneous and grateful as the hearts of many willing men could make it. “It was the first actual visualisation of all the long abours by the Expedition members, and they felt their work had at last had its first actual reward. Merely a thing of steel and wood and fabric, with a purring giant in its bow;, it represents accomplishment, and though not a great amount of exploration may be done this year, that aeroplane is the symbol of everything the expedition lias meant to those- who have given to it their entire energy. The unloading of the plane was a piece of work which everyone might feel proud. From the man who ran the winch to the mechanic out in the snow who dug himself into a hole and wrapped a rope round him so that it might not .slip. The first test fliglrt will be in a few hours, when the will be taken, up by C'apt. Alton Parker, of the Marine Corps. It will travel over country which has never before been! witnessed by any means of travel less primitive than hauling (logs. Its motor is being wanned up now and the .final cheeking of the valves and inspection of parts is being made. The wings were carried over the side on the shoulders of men down a- slippery plank with not a single mishap or scrape of the tender surface. Once when it was thought that the downward weight was a little too much for -the men below, a man took a headlong dive from a high rail to the snow, landing sprawling on his face, but jumped up in. a second to put his shoulder under the weight and give just the added holding power that was needed.” “The aeroplane will lie taken to the base, nine miles from here as soon as it has been tested, and though it may be flown back and forth a few times with loads between ship and shore, it will be kept here where it will be se-, cure if the ice goes out suddenly. “When Amundson landed here 18 years ago to-day the Bay icc was all out, but to-day it is as 'solid apparently as when wo arrived, so that flying between the ship and shore must bo done cautiously, if the aeroplane is not to get on a piece of floating ice, so small that the taking off would be impossible. Another tiling, which limits flying is the extraordinary visibility down here. On days when it seems fairly clean, it is almost impossible to distinguish the surface, and a man walking on ski is will find himself stumbling over obstacles which he cannot see. The result is that landing, with the .exception for a few days of the. month is always risky, as there is no shadows to indicate undulations on the surface. This difficulty will be obviated at the base by many tents, houses and flags to aid the pilot in judging his distance from the ground, but there are days when no artificial assistance is of the slightest effect. Then flying is out of the question. Howover, Byrd and his pilots believe that a .number of important exploration and mapping flights may be made before the winter storms put an end to operations.” AEROPLANE IN ACTION. SUCCESSFUL EXPLORATION BAY OF WHALES, Jan. 16. “There are a lot of happy aviators down here to-night on the edge of the continent, where an aeroplane has never. before flown. Byrd’s first plane ashore made several successful short trips in the air, altogether of nearly 3J hours, and what that means to men who have spent years in the cockpit of an aeroplane, and then have not flown for nearly four months, can only bo imagined.

“Byrd personally made a flight of 80 minutes over unknown country to the west and south, and explored a deep inlet in the Barrier, which was hitherto unknown. Altogether, lie explored twelve hundred square miles of

territory which would have taken weeks by the old methods. “The plane functioned perfectly. The ski and landing gear stood up under • tne rough treatment and the aeroplane was safely and snugly put away at the base on the barrier where there is no danger of its being carried out by ice.’’ STARTING THE FLY. (Received this day at 9.2(5. a.m.) BAY OF WALES, Jan. Hi. It was a day of achievement of carefully planned work, which was carried out faultlessly. The aeroplane was no sooner ready for flight the night before, than a heavy snowstorm came up ending all activity for the moment. Visibility was poor and the high cliffs of the Barrier faded away, and the plane and ship were left in a small circle in. the dim, half light. Fortunately there was no wind,'otherwise anything might have happened. It might have 'been possible for a pilot to have taken oil' and landed somewhere on the barrier, if the ice had broken, yet it would have been a. desperate venture, and the men watched silently, and with apprehension for hours, but this morning the snowclouds passed and the sun shone with a dear brilliancy, only attained in this pure air, until every white cliff like outline of the Bay stood out sharply. It was a perfect day. The motor was heated by a torch placed under a fire proof covering, warm oil. was put in the tank and Balchen climbed into the pilot’s seat, while Dean Smith, and then Ken hard and Bubior turned over the inertia starter. With everything clear Baluheu turned on the ignition and the big motor sparked and settled down to a smooth, even roar. Balclien nursed the motor for some time until it was well warmed, and could be opened wide, and the aeroplane, with its orange wings and black fuselage, trembled and shook under the thrust of 'the proixMlor. When all was ready Balclien turned the controls over to Barker. A few icicles had gathered on the wido slot of fresibalanced ailerons, a suggestion of what may menace flying in this country. As Parker worked the controls they broke off and tinkled down the bard packed surface. He opened up the motor wide and shook the tail to help free the skiis which were frozen to the surface where they had rested so long. The pilot taxied far down to one side over a slightly rough surface and the action of the skis alul landing gear was watched uneasily by the men, win had worked over that problem for months. The skis are ten feet apart; giving a very broad landing gear, and are fastened to stream-lined supports, built up of welded tubing. r ! hey were of a new design and there, was some anxiety how they would work. Parker held the engine down until the plane lifted and began climbing slowly towards the barrier cliff miles away. The other pilot and Byrd expressed their gratification and watched as the' plane turned and headed inland towards fhe base about nine miles away. Parker had a twenty-five hundred teet altitude by the time he reached there and had become ;i mere speck in the sky when he turned and caine back. He came down in a fast glide towards the watching groups barely touching bis mark, and rapidly shot up again, when he banked round and landed. 'lhe plane settled quickly aiul easily, stopping in a. very short distance. Ibe landing gear had performed better than ever had been expected.” “Babe” Smith, for years an air mail pilot on the night run between Cleveland and New York was next to take up the aeroplane and with him he took Kennard and Bubior, the marine corps mechanic, and the other mechanic who was with Byrd at Spitzbergen, Nick Dennis. By this time the skiis were smooth and it was possible to tell ,how the plane would act. Smith went away easilv and came back to an equally easy landing. Balclien and Donald June then tested the plane in every possible way oil the ice and in the air, taking up several members of the party. Even an amateur could tell the efficiency of the landing gear.