Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-14
NANSEN DETAILS
PERLS,OF ICE IN
GLOBE AIR RACE
Difficulty of Finding Landing
Places in Greenland Very
Great. Says Explorer

LONDON. Widespread inquiries
among European aviators show that
they are inclined to believe that the
reruplane flight for the ruund-the-
globe Panama Exposition prizes Is
feasible II suitable stations with stores
and repairing facilities are established
beforehand in the uninhabited or only
partly inhabited regions bordering Gu
Boring Sea and Greenland.
Several airmen said that the TEN.
rerature, even ii it is intensely cold
which is unlikely at the time of year
when the flight is to be undertaken
or ordinary storms wera unimportant,
INT that relay stations with suitable
landing places were the real essen
tialS
Prof Fridtjof hansen, probably the
greatest living authority on physical
conditions in Greenland and the
northern regions generally, though he
will seldom be interviewed. consented
TO give his views on the practicabilitT
Of the project, while not claiming to
have expert knowledge of aviation.
1t should be easy" he said, "for
an aeroplane to land at the Shetland
and Farce Islands, and at Iceland. and
also to establish stores, these places
being in regular steamship connection
with Norway and Denmark. Green
land presents much greater difficult
ties. There it would be extremely
hard to find suitable and easily &C
cessible landing places near the coast,
Placing Of Stores. i
On the inland ice there are many
excellent landing places. but these are
too far away from the coast, and
there are no people there. Conso
quently it would be impFacticableI to
place stores. It Is a long distance
from Iceland to the southwest coast
Of Greenland. but with the. modern
machine the flight might be accomp-
lished. Along the east coast of Green.
land there is only one possible place
to establish a store-the Danish sta
ton Of Angmaksalik on the Shermzih
Fjord. 80
From Angmagsalik aViators may
choose two routes. The first is along
the land west of Cape Farewell, where
it should be possible to find landing
might then. continue their flight up
the west coast Of Godthaab. i,
Second aviators may fly in. a
straight line from Angmaksadk To the
west coast of Greenland.
IF they choose this route they must
fly at great height, as the lee noun
tains reach an altitude Of 5000 feet.
If they cannot accomplish the direct
flight. landing at ,Angmaksalik will
greatly facilitate the task, as the west
coast of Greenland is almost entirely
mountainous At 'Godthaab, where I
know the country WELL | cannot re-
member having seen any plain either
west or east But on the drift ice one
may find excellent landing and store
conditions If the aviator only selscts
q very big ice foe, of which there are
many when you reach the polar Ice.
Weather conditions will not pre-,
sent very great, difficulties. OF the
Farce and Shetland Islands and on
Iceland and Greenland there is com.
paratively little wind in the summer.
especially during July and August. II
the route is laid over the inland ice II
| experienced II degrees Of frost.
6atfin's Land Difficult
"Baffin's Land I do not know so
well, but it would be very difficult to
find landing places there and still
more so to establish stores. There is
no regular steamship service to Baf,
fins Land and it would be necessary
to send a special expedition, II the
transportation Of stores Is not feasible
by whalers. Stores should be sent
to Greenland year ahead. as steam
er8 make their last trip in September
'If aviators choose a route from the
Greenland west coast directly to Lab
radOr they would avoid Baffin's Land.
which presents the greatest obstacles.
should advise aviatOrs to be extreme
~ careful and study the route diligent-
Iy. II is of the utmost Importance that
preparations be made in the most con.
scicntiOus and scientific way by the
most competent and experienced men"
European aviatOrs to whom Nan.
sens statement was shown believe
the route shOuId be Travelled over
first by competitors by the ordinary
means Of transportation, to familiar,
i've themselves with it's conditions.
They agree also that at the present
stage Of aviation single flights Of 500
miles are the longest that can be safe
~ TeckOned upon. Perhaps by next
year a new engine will have appeared
which will make longer flights pos
sblp. bnt is is not yet in sight.
Saulnier Of MOraine-Saulnier Com
pany. and acknowledged TO be one
o. the greatest experts in aviation.
has prepared a calculation, expressed
in technical scientific formulate, in
tended to show that n single trans
atlantic flight AZ projected by Glen
Curtisl is y sheer impossibIity with
INV type Of engine now existing or