Evening star., 1926-05-09
Must Make Minimum Flight
of 1900 Miles EncircIing
"Top of World" to Prove
His Achievement.
PLANES RADIUS GIVES
SCANT SAFETY MARGIN
Expedition Expects to Be Back in
Kings Bay Today After l6 to "a
Hour Nonstop Journey-Sensa-
tional Shift Is Made in Plans
at the Last Moment.
BY WILLIAM BIRD.
Special Correspondent of The Star.

Special Correspondent of The Star.
KINGS BAY, Spitzbergen. May g
The Byrd Polar expdition's three
engine airplane. Josephine Ford
flew toward the North Pole from its
base here at | 80 o'clock this (Sun-
day. morning. Greenwich time. The
airplane is expected back in from
10 to "a hours.
The airplane got away on the sec
ond attempt OF the day to take off
The first attempt was made earlier
in the afternoon.
The weather was perfect. but the
airplane failed to rise. its load was
lightened for the second and sue
cessful attempt
At the last moment the COM
mander has changed his plans In
stead Of landing first in Peary land
and establishing a base. he is hy-
ing direct toward the Pole ard re-
turning over Peary land. But with
out stopping there.
Byrd Announces Plans.
I'VE are off for the Pole.' said
Comdr. Byrd at the take-off. Our
intention is to fly due north 720 miles
in bee line. the distance from Kings
Bay to the top of the world, and with
out stopping the motors to fix
position.
Having done this. our purpose is
TO turn leftward and circle back
within sight of the north Greenland
coast on the return course, which. be-
cause of the curve, is somewhat
longer-approximate 900 miles.
We intend to explore by going to
Peary Lard via the Pole rather than
to the Pole via Peary Land. The
reason for the chan is our expert
ence up here in flying. Landing on
the snow with skis with a large
three-motored plane indicates that 1t
is inadvisable to land in unknown
territory with a heavy load as we
would have to do if we went direct
10 Peary Land.
THE course to the Pole is for the
most part over the area already ex-
plored by Amundsen and Ellsworth
last year, but from S7.44 degrees on
ward we shall be passing over regions
never before seen by man, except the
points where we cross Peary's course
Of 1909.
Will See Huge Area.
Between the Pole and Peary land
the territory is unexplored, and from
the plane if the air is clear. we can
survey perhaps $4,000 square miles
which no human eve has yet seen. In
other words, we can add that much
to the map of the Northern Hemi-
sphere.
we do not know what we shall
L., tL,fv
hut ice. On the other hand. there are
strong reasons to infer the existence
Of land from the beha vior of certain
currents and from the Soundings
taken in the neighborhood. If such
land exists, it will be the nearest
known land to the Pole and should be
an extremely valuable halfway point
for future Arctic exploration.
Besides establishing the existence
or non-eXistence of new land in that
region we shall have an opportunity
to study the Peary land coast from
the aviation viewpoint. Most of that
coast has not been explored since the
airplane was developed into prac-
teal exploring instrument, and we
have very little data regarding the
suita bility of the region for landing
planes.
Had Plea Long i'm Mind.
"It was that last consideration that
imperled me only a few days ago to
discard the plan of flying to Cape
Jesup and establishing a base there
before attempting the polar flight.
have indeed always had the alterna-
tive plan in mind.
THE Greenla ndfirst plan was
based on the probability that along
the Peary land coast we should find
hi nj oil lfrvhf fiv1rr nd
establishing an advanced base. The
idea was to leave at such base sup
plies and gasoline. returning to Kings
Bay to re-fuel, thence flying to the
Pole with full tanks and exploring
considerably beyond the Pole before
returning empty to Peary land to
pick up fuel for the final return to
Kings Bay.
THAT is an attractive program. but
ii Is based on the initial assumption
that a suitable site for an advanced
base could readily be found. No doubt
such sites are there. but finding them
in fog and bad weather might be
impossible. The scheme also requires
four asoents and four landings. all of
which add greatly to the risk.
The alternative plan seems after
our several experiments of starting
extremely more logical. Have entire
confidence in the planes ability to
keep in the air "a hours. We can
explore in this flight nearly as much
territory as we should otherwise cover
and can obtain the information re-
Quired about Peary Land
Amundsen Party Agrees.
~ am pleased to note that Capt.
Amundsen and Mr.. Ellsworth. my
neiShbors here, agree with me that it
is preferable not to make more land
inSs in the polar regions than are
necessary, and when it is possible to
make them only on known ground.
1T is unnecessary for me to say
that both Bennett and myself are
starting out with the keenest en-
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