POLAR FLIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 95, 23 April 1928, Page 9

POLAR FLIGHT.

WILKINS' STORY.

2200 Miles Over The Great Unknown.

never before seek by man.

(Australian and N.Z. Press Association.)

(Received p.m.)

NEW YORK, April 22.

Captain Wilkins, the Australian aviator-explorer, who has jnst flown over the North Pole, has given a signed story, copyright, to the Australian Press Association and the "New York Times" from Svalbkrd, Spitzbergen.

He states: "With good weather, good luck and by careful navigation, we travelled 2200 miles above the Arctic ice from Pt. Barrow to Green Harbour, Svalbard, three-quarters of the area of which has never been seen before by man.

"We are thankful that aeronautical engineering, the 6kill of conscientious workmen and our accumulated Arctic experience has brought us through in comparative comfort and safety. Yet the trip was not without adventure. It took us two days to get into the air before we were finally able to lift the machine, weighing 33001bs into the air on April 15, and we headed straight out over the Great Circle on a course that would change 22 times in 22 hours.

"For the first 500 miles the air was clear, then there were clouds, but we overcame them at an altitude of 3000 feet. We saw no signs of islands, but there v re frequent leads of open water where e would have liked to make sounc. ..gs, but the landing was too hazardous with the possibility of broken skis. Our engine functioned perfectly. The sun gave a clear light and we even took frequent sextant observations while the compass acted ordinarily, namely, within five degrees."

AMUNDSEN ON FLIGHT.

SPLENDID ENTERPRISE.

(Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 2.30 p.m.) OSLO, April 22. Captain Raold Amundsen, the Arctic explorer, believes that Polar flying conditions are more favourable now than in May, when fog is prevalent. He says that apparently Captain Wilkins was not troubled by ice freezing on the wings or tTie 'plane, as befell the Norge on the Spitsbergen-Alaska flight in May, 1926.

It was impossible to say whether the flyers. crossed the Pole. They certainly crossed . the Polar basin, apparently following the same line as the Norge. It was ft • splendid sporting enterprise, and he hoped that Captain Wilkins, whose persistence deserved success, had crossed the Pole. It was only right that this pair of heroeß should have succeeded in the remarkable achievement which, unlike transatlantic fights, was unaided.