The New York herald., 1920-01-24
EXPLORER PLANS
FLIGHT TO POLE
DR.. Cope Will Brave Antarctic
Cold and Billiards in
Aerial Dash.
FLY OVER MOUNTAIN RANGE
Specially Equipped Airplane Now
Being Made for British Scien.
tific Expedition.

LONDON. Friday Cby the Associated
Press).-Dr. John L. Cope, commander of
the British imperial antarctic expedition
which will leave England in the steam
ship Terra Nova next June for five
years tour OF exploration in the Antarc-
tic, says an attempt will be made to dash
to the South Pole by aiyplane. Today he
told the Associated Press how he hoped
TO accomplish this, pretentlous undertake
ing 49,. q: .---.--.. -~-~''.-'r.
The plane we are taking with u.s." said
Dr. Cope, -."is being specially. constructed
and will be so designed tina. it'.can land
on the ice by means of skids. Three men
Will make the dash for the pole from, the
top OF the great ice barrier at the Bay
Of. Whales .~.-..s ,-~-~,..
From the starting point it will be a
continuous climb, since the plane will
nave TO cross q mountain range, with
peaks. HOO f6et high The pilot will be
Captain c.. II. Wilkins. who participated
m the flight between England and Aus
tralia. M
N"The plane will be fitted with a patent
sledge attachment. which will be used to
carry provisions and equipment If any
thing happens to prevent the journey be-
ing continued in the air. With a full load
and crew the airplane will weigh IL 800
pounds. Its speed will average ninety
three miles an hour.
'Of the three men in the plane one will
be the pilot, the second the navigator and
wireless operator, and the third myself
| will be tie observer and my duties will
be to chart and photograph the country
over which we pass.
l have had very considerable experience
in sledging during years spent in the ant
arctic region. and in the event of a'cci-
dent will lead the party back to our
base over the great Ice mountains and
glaciers. Naturally the great enemy we
shall have to face will be the Antarctic
blizzard. but given fairly decent weather
and reasonable luck / am convinced we
will safely return to our base.
IF the weather is favorable intend to
commerce the flight for the pole next
Christmas Day"
The South Pole could be reached on
foot only with the utmost OF difficulty and
great danger. ] have been told that one
Of the chief difficulties l will have TO
face is the lowness of the temperature.
While this may be the case, the work of
the British airmen in North Russia during
the winter must not be overlooked. There
our airmen used planes when the tenn
.perature was many degrees colder than it
is in the Antarctic in summer
7 The time | spent fnarooned on Ross
Island after the Aurora Uhe Mawson ex-
pedition ship OF 19l6> was driven away
in the blizzard gave me every opportunity
for studying weather conditions. In a
little hut established by Scott on that
lonely island amid the ice and my com
rades i'm misfortune lived for two years,
with all hope. of rescue abandoned. We
kept records regarding the weather and
continued our research wori;, hoping that
even though We persisted future explorers
would find data that would benefit them.
Those records convinced me of the plac-
ticability of aviation in the Antarctic dur
ing the summer. | am convinced that By
using an airplano new important dis
coveries will be made,
1.-The objects of the expedition are purely
scientific. We are going there 10 collect
all the data possible regarding mineral
wealth and other natural resources. Dur
ing the expedition an attempt wilr be
made to clrcunnavlgate the Antarctic,
and three members OF the party. including
myself, will spend whole winter on the
great ice barrier, thing never before at
tempted, for the purpose of studying
weather conditions
"When we return our data will be pub
lie pronerty,"