The Coolidge examiner., 1931-09-11
prepared by the National Geographic
Society Washington. D. c.

A LTHOUGH the revised timer
~ airy of Col. and Mrs. Charles
A. Lindbergh's vacation flight
TO Japan routed them over many
square miles of practically unexplOred
territory in northwest Canada, much
of the country they traversed be-
tween Washington, d. c., and Baker
Lake, Northwest Territories. has
been flown by Canadian government
air surveys and by aerial prospect
orS.
The native Indians, EskimOs and
Royal Canadian mounted policemen
Of the Hudson bay district have not
before had such distinguished aerial
visitors, but the sight of an air
plane, either in winter or summer,
is no new experience to them.
Few people, except those who
have seen it, realize the high de-
gree to which northern Canada has
organized air transport. Using wa
ter routes, open in summer, ii has
laid down a wide network of fuel
and supply stations at strategic
points. All around Hudson bay, at
convenient spots; down the Macken-
Zie river TO Lake AthabaSka about
Great Slave and Great Bear lakes
and along the Arctic coast, and
down the Yukon. these depots are
set up. Now practically every dis
trict in continental Canada is with
in flying range of one of these sta
tions. In fact. if you picture the
Canadian airways as linked up with
the air net in the United States.
the broad statement is true that
given good weather. no place on the
North American continent is now
more than one or two days flight
from a railway.
1t was in survey work and in
patrols of her millions of acres of
forest reserves that Canada first
used. planes. The first attempt to
use plane on long distance COM
mercial mission was made by an oil
company in 1921. To meet an
emergency. II started two all-metal
monOplanes, on skis. from the rail
head at Peace river on a 1900
mile flight TO Norman on the Mac
kenZie river. The weather was vile;
billiards with temperatures of 40
and 80 below zero alternated with
mild spring thaws.
Pilots Are Resourceful.
One plane, landing on crusted
snow. at Simpson, broke through so
that ski collapsed and propel-
Ter blade struck the ground. But
the resourcefulness of Canadian nj
lots, in smash. far from shops and
Spare-Part stores. is revealed in Pi-
lot Germans laconic report on this
accident.
March so Will try and
have a new prop made here. Oak
sleigh boards are available: also
some glue. And a Hudson's Bay
company man named Johnson is an
old cabinet maker We can
use the damaged propeller as a pat
tern and use the Catholic mission
workshop here.
March 81. Found moosehide glue.
Borrowed some boat clamps. so that
the boards can he clamped tightly
together in making the laminated
propeller.
april -. Tested the new propel-
Ter. II works satisfactorily"
The amazing degree TO which
planes now wipe out miles and save
time in Canada was shown by flights
and photography work carried on
from a base on the north shore of
the Gulf of st. Lawrence. From
this stormy coast Capt. Vernon
C'Turk") Robinson made flight
after fight. bearing surveyors and
supplies over mountainous coast
line into the interior plateau. He
carried drums of gas by air. max
ing caches at points far distant:
from these deposits planes could
operate even farther inland. Thus
Grand Falls, on the Hamilton river.
was finally reached. Then after a
days flight of 500 miles, starting
from Burnt lake. photographs were
taken of the falls; and the next day
the engineer-photOgrapher was back
in Quebec having his pictures devel-
oped. BY sea and canoe. the only
other means of travel. this task
would have taken all S'1mmerl
Adventure, grim and perilous, is
often the lot of pilots and passen.
gers in flight over the long stretches
of empty wilderness which inter
vene between fuel caches. camps, or
settlements.
Meet With PeriIous Adventures.
One party, from a base on the in
hospitable Gulf of ST. Lawrence, was
forced down by bad weather and
had to alight on an unknown lake
A floating log ripped the bottom
from their hull and the flying boat
sank. Casting aside their cloth
ing, the crew made for the shore.
They made land minus any food or
equipment, and spent a week, naked,
l.. dc l. 4 L