Evening star., 1924-11-09
AMUNDSEN GIVEN USE OF SHENANDOAH OR ZR;, PROMISES
TO EXPLORE REGION WITHIN SHORT TIME

! tion Of the polar regions. became
pilot in the air in order to be
able to take a part in the handling
OF the plane. The first plane 1
bought for use in the Arctic was a
bip'ane. I got 1t home just before
the war started. AS my country was
very poorly equipped in the way OF
flying machines at that time i
| thought the right thing to do was
to present my plane to the military
! authorities and postpone my expedi-
tion. 1 thought. as most people did
then, that the war would soon be
over and that l shortly should be
| able to recommence my interrupted
work. I was wrong-and so were
80 per cent of the rest of the world.
The war dragged on and on and
| finally / lost my patience. In 1916
l ordered my new ship The Maud to
be built and July IS. 1918, 1 left Nor
| way equipped for a seven-year stay
| in the Arctic Although my expedi-
tion was better equipped than any
other expedition up to that time, 1t
lacked the greatest essential-the
| aeronautical outfit. There was no
| use trying. An airplane was not to
| be had in those days for it's own
| without. After having passed through
| the North East Passage, l came down
| to Seattle, Wash, 1921. The war was
| over and l could again take up my
plan of using airplaneS in polar work.
Since then / have carried on and
| made two attempts in vain. The first
time the plane brought out upon the
| north coast of Alaska broke down
during the trial flight, owing to in
sufficient workmanship. The second
| time ! failed to get through owing
| to lack of funds. And now i am fac
ing the third attempt. Will l sue
| ceed? Certainly, if l can have the
| outfit l wish.
No doubt but the plan has to be
carefully thought out and the de-
tails entered into with an exactness
bordering on pedantry. How many
undertakings have been wrecked on
account of the leaders overlooking
the details. 1t is too late when you
are away from all outside suppl IS.
You must do with the next best and
that is not always satisfactory.
1 once met a polar explorer who. on
| his way to entering the Arctic with
his ship, asked me how he could OBJ
tain fresh water supply. He GER
! tainly had not thought of the details.
My intention is to start my flight
in the month of June, next year. from
Spitzbergen. 1t is a question which
is the best, June or July. In the first
Of these you will find mostly unbroken
ice and as 4 result of this very little
fog. l will admit that fog may be
extremely unpleasant for an aeroplane
in case of landing on the ice, even
dangerous, and that the month of June
| therefore ought to be selected. But,
| on the other hand, if you select July
you surely will find open water
enough almost all the way across to
land on.
But the fog is heavy in that month
and it may be it will catch you just
in the wrong moment and a forced
landing in thick fog in the ice may
have a disastrous result. So 1t is
better. to make landing on the ice.
1t is generally believed that the polar
pack is impossible to land in with an
aeroplane. Most people seem to think
that the polar ice only consists of
rugged pieces strewn pell nell over
the surface. This is not So The
surface is often smooth, even for
miles. and offers you the best of
landings. We know from experience
that such ice is excellent both for
landing and taking off. l know that
many a pilot will insist on the i'm
possibility of making sure of the con-
dition of the surface of the ice from
aloft. l admit this is difficult but not
impossible. and some chances must be
taken.
From the above it will be under
stood why 1 select the month of June
for my start. The reason I choose
Spitzperxen is because my base only
will DC u short distance from Nor
way. An case l should need assist
ance I can get it within a very short
time. Another reason is that the
transpolar flight then will have the
whole coast of Alaska and Canada as
a target and. never mind what error
you make in your navigation, you
cannot very well miss the American
Continent. But flying in the oppo-