Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-15

now uylng NOrLn. Elgnteen
precise bottom of the world
North. This Is the magical 80
the two most exclusive nayiga-
tional positions on earth. This
is the South Pole for which men
have died in the reaching.
We have just completed a
circle of five miles in diameter
Thus we have flown around the
world in five minutes.
There are 10 of us aboard the
plane-9 base flyers Of Opera
ton Deepfreeze, and one bug
eyed correspondent Their bore
dom is understandable since, for
most of the crew of the four-en-
gined Skymaster. this is their
second fight over the pole in IL
days. The excitement Of this
writer is equally Understandable
Fewer than 40 men have been
here before us. This is only the
fifth flight in all history over the
Pole and I, they tell me, am the
first reporter to fly over it.
All I can see below. above and
to the left and right OF our
orange-tipped wings Is a dirty
white blur.
Visibility Zero
This is a whiteout-the Ant
arctic trick of refraction by
of minute ice particles and re-
which light bounces of billions
suits in zero visibility. 1t Is just
my luck to strike it now.
We hit the Pole on the return
leg of a long, firing fight Of ex-
ploration deep into the unknown
heartland Of the Antarctic. We
took OF from the base. McMurdo
Sound. headed toward Queen
Maude land, reached a point $50
miles beyond the Pole at lati-
tude 50 degrees south. longitude
20 degrees east, turned left and
headed for the Pole on the
homeward journey.
We are now 20 minutes away
from the Pole and still in the
whiteout. In an hour and a half.
we are due to reach the towering
coastal peaks. We are still 900
miles from the base and we
have been burning gas heavily
all day fighting headwinds and
overcasts and whiteouts on the
way out.
Over Polar Plateau
We are now flying at an alti-
tude of 1000 feet above sea
level, but the radar shows a high
polar plateau only about $500
feet below US. Nobody on the
plane seems worried by the con-
tinuing whiteout.
Except me. Keep thinking
about what I had been told
many times, that if the plane
were forced to land on high
plateau our chances Of survival
would depend largely on our
ability to walk.
1t would be difficult for a res
cue plane to land and take of
in the thin air of the plateau.
I am also thinking of--in fact
counting on-a remark made by
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd
who has flown over the Pole
three times and heads the pres
ent Antarctic program:
Don't worry, if forced to land.
we will come and get you some
how"
1t is now almost five hours
later and we have Just landed
at McMurdo Base with our sense
of history completely numbed by
the exhausting flight which COW
cred 2,700 miles and took IA
hours. History will have to be
content with my diary notes of
the whole fight which follow:
8:45 am. the plane on the ice
of McMurdo Sound is being
fuelled with long hose from
the icebreaker Glacier a few
hundred yards off. 1t. Col. Hal
Il. Kolp, of Akron, Ohio, plane
commander, is boarding with the
rest of the crew-Lt. Comdr.
Henry G.. Hanson. first pilot, of
Tuscola, ILL.,; Maj. Frederick j,
Helling, United States Marine
Corps, second pilot, New York
1t. Richard A. Mackell, navi-
gator, Grove City. Pa; Chief
Photographer Walter Ahlin OF
Everett, Mass; Crew Chief Jack
Wheeler, Birmingham, Ala;
Aviation Technic1an lie Jerry
Reilly. radioman. st. Louis; Avi-
alton Machinist's Mate 80
James Medlin of Anderson. S. C..
and 1t. Ernest A. Schmidt, all
observer and navigator of SYRIA
cuse, N. Y.
AS I finger the oxygen mask
Col. Kolp says we will have tt
AL TX AHN.0r