Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-04
AMERICANS TO MAP
ICELAND AIR ROUTE
Aviation Company President
Reveals Plan to Continue
Cramer's Fatal Study.
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,

Aviation Editor OF The Star.
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, Cleveland,
Ohio. September 4-Tae work o.
establishing air transport service across
the Atlantic Ocean by way Of Canada.
Greenland and Iceland to Denmark,
dream for which Parker D. Shorty
Cramer. gave up years OF study ana
finally his life, will be continued In the
face Of all the obstacles the northland
can throw in the path of human
progress, it was reveal d here by Edwin
G. Thompson, president of Transamer1-
can Always, which fostered the Cramer
expedition.
Next January an expedition will be
sent out with two airplanes to make
thorough engineering study OF the route
to be covered. parts of it over the most
barren and forbidden country in the
world The route to study, OF which
Cramer devoted the last three years OF
his life and which finally cost him his
life few weeks ago when he was lest
after leaving Iceland, possesses the ad-
vantage of being the shortest between
the two continents and one on which
the longest over water hop Is 500.
will Continue Cramer Study.
Thompson revealed that Cramer's
studies have been so thorough t.let he
gained recognition among explorers BE-
fore his death as one of the worlds best
informed men on conditions on the
Greenland ice cap in the wilds on
Northeastern Canada and Baffln Land.
The results of his work are to be used
In the difficult and dangerous pioneering
work which it is anticipated eventually
will cut travel time between the United
States and Europe to two days.
The expedition probably will be led
by Eddie" Preston the pilot who took
up the Cramer trail shortly after his
death and who has just been recalled
to Detroit from the Northern Canada
leg of the route until preparations are
completed for the beginning Of the
engineering study. which promises to
rank as one CT the outstanding pieces
of aviation pioneering.
One Of TIE planes will carry sutt1cient-
ly powerful radio equipment to pene-
trate the curtain" of the Northern
Lights which blocks radio waves in
the extreme northern ATTITUDES. The
other will carry supplies for the expedi-
ton. dividing the load which over
burdened Cramer's plane.
Glover Backs Plan.
The studies will cover the location
of landing fields. radio stations. caches
of fuel and supplies, meteorological
conditions and other details preliminary
to the actual beginning of service.
The survey is heartily approved by
w. Irving Glover, Ass slant Postmaster
General in charge of the air mail, who
has been one of the warmest sup
porters Of the plan, Mr.. Thompson
revealed.
Preliminary study Of the route re-
veals many interesting and hitherto
little known facts concerning condi-
tons in Greenland and Iceland and along
the route. Greenland, it was revealed,
Is the only place in the world where
an aviator always can find tail wind,
no matter in what direction he is fly
ing. This is due to the mighty zee
cap which covers all but the coast lines
of the country. The ice cap chills the
air, which drops and flows in all direc-
tons toward the sea. Above the layer
of air which flows outward in all direc-
tions from the center of the cap Is an
inrushing layer of air drawn in to re-
place the outluShing lower layer. Cross
ing Greenland from west to east, Mr.
Thompson said, the pilot comes in high,
in the 1nrushing upper layer. Passing
the center. he drops into the cold lower
layer, which is blowing eastward to the
sea. From east to west he comes in
high and then drops into the cold lower
westward current.
will Use Eskimo Mechanics.
Lie GdSI COdSJ VI WIl6T6
large stores Of gasoline and fuel oil
have been cached in preparation for
the January expedition. is utterly barren
and virtually uninhabited. The tiny
settlement of Angmagsalik, the farthest
north point on the route, the survey
party will cover next Winter. 1t was
settled by a small patty sent from the
more hoSpitable western coast, but con-
tains only two white men. Supplies
can be sent there only once a year and
at that time stores must be accumulated
to supply the transport planes for IL
months of operations.
Eskimo mechanics will be used The
Eskimo, Thompson said, make good
mechanics. their hard environment
teaching them ingenuity and the art
of making the best possible use of the
tools that come to hand. Angmagsalik
will be the division point at which
change will be made from land planes
to seaplanes. Land planes will operate
on the route west from Angmagsalik
and Diesel-powered seaplanes to the
East.
On parts Of the route landing run
ways must be blasted out of solid stone.
On the ice cap innumerable natural
landing areas are available, Thompson
said
The survey will enlist the support Of
officers Of the Army and Navy who are
familiar with conditions there and COM
plete preliminary reports have been
submitted to officers of both services,
1t was revealed