Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-15
.A|RPL LANE PROVES
ITS VALUE TO BYRD
/. IN ANTARCTIC COLD
Mastery of Difficulties Near
South Pole Held Promis-
ing New Triumphs.
LOSS OF ONE MACHINE
TEACHES HIM LESSON
Efforts at Keeping Engine Warm
and Improving Landing Gear
Show Results.
BY RUSSELL OWEN.

DA MOSSEAL OWEN.
BY Wireless to The Star and New York
Times.
LITTLE AMERICA. Antarctica, April
l5.-The airplane has proved It's value
in the Antarctic. Flying has been done
under most severe conditions, In cold
far below zero, through snow squalls,
over surfaces obscured by drift and
surrounded by an indefinite horizon.
Motors have shown no mechanical
failures and landing gear has stood up
on fields so rough that at home no
pilot would dream of taking of on
them with load. The reliability of
modern air-cooled motors and the
strength OF modern welded steel con-
structioh have been many times dem
onstrated.
That the planes performed so well
was because Antarctic conditions were
anticipated. II had been found that
methods for meeting condition were
sufiicient, although in some cases pro-
tective measures have been extended
and many valuable lessons have been
AC0AAOds OAAC VA CAIC AiOcb 1IupOIL0Ilt
being that every airplane for use in
this country. Of violent winds should
have folded wings.
Limits Of Airplane Use.
Airplanes can be flown, here with
safety on flights Of reasonable length,
can be secured In the open in a terri
tory OF strong winds and stored for
Winter with security. Their more ex-
tensive use here is unquestionable.
Aviation has definitely taken its
place in exploration" Comdr. Byrd
said today. The work done by the
airplane and the dirigible In the North
Polar regions is now being done sue
cessfuliy In the Antarctic. 3.
1T has been shown that a country
accessible only by arduous and danger
Gus effort by the old methods may be
quickly and more thoroughly explored
by airplane
And when to exploration Is added
an accurate aerial survey with q cam
era, the old method Is 50 immeasurably
surpassed that there seams. to be little
comparison except for detailed work,
such as that Of the geologist.
There are some who doubted the
applicability OF the airplane to Ant.
arctic exploration before this expedition
started. Their objections, however, were
based on insufficient knowledge of ayia-
ton.
Prepared for Difficulties.
The sudden winds, snowstorms and
bad visibility of Antarctica were deemed
insurmountable obstacles to any ex-
tensive work These difficulties were
realized and anticipated by us.
But we have been able so far to
avoid the high winds while in the air,
to fly around the snowstorn1s and over
come bad visibility by instrument
flying.
Il should Judge that 60 per cent Of
our flying has been by instruments. be-
cause it has been impossible to dis
tinguish the surface or horizon at
times during flights.
THE results so far have exceeded
our expectations, and / am more than
ever convinced that in a region so in
accessible as Antarctica the airplane
is the logical method for exploration
except where local conditions make it
prohibitive.
I'VE have fiown over thousands Of
square miles of territory never before
seen, surveyed and mapped it, and we
have landed on 1t for closer geo.
logical examination and to fix its po-
sition.
True, we have lost one airplane, but
we were pioneering, and believe. from
the experience gained, that this can be
avoided by future air explorers.
Greater Record Predicted.
80 think the record of this pre-
liminary work speaks well for the use
of the airDlane in exploration and nOiT1ts
the way to an even greater record to be
written not only by u.s. but also by all
those who will come after us.
"Our three flights have been success
full because more than year ago, when
Floyd Bennett was alive, he began pre-
pairing for them"
Bennett had had the invaluable ex-
perience Of flying in Greenland with
Byrd and of the North Pole flight, both
pioneer efforts in. the Arctic, and he
knew the difiiculties to be met. Ben
nett would have been second in COM
mand of the Antarctic expedition, and
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