U.S. Super-Constellation To Go Home Next Week

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29390, 17 December 1960, Page 15

U.S. Super-Constellation To Go Home Next Week

The aerial workhorse of United States Antarctic operations—the Super - Constellation Phoenix—which has been shuttling back and forward between Harewood and McMurdo Sound since September, will make its last trip south today before -returning to the United States next week. It will be back on the job in February. Today’s flight will be the first leg of the plane's fourteenth round trip since it arrived at Harewood. Lieutenant - Commander D. L. Reckling, who has flown the aircraft on all but one trip and who has been the pilot for the last two Antarctic seasons, yesterday described the Phoenix as a “regular workhorse.” He added: “I guess you could say we have flown more hours (300) than any other aircraft here during this season.”

During the season more than 400 passengers including a knight, four two-star admirals, two or three United States Congressmen, New Zealand Parliamentarians, journalists and scientists have been transported to or from the Antarctic continent. “The first eight or 10 trips we mostly carried passengers, since then it’s been mainly cargo. Today we are taking mail and Christmas trees,” said Lieuten-ant-Commander Reckling. On the nose of the aircraft, penguins are painted to show the number of flights south made by the Phoenix. At present there are 23 but Lieutenant-Comman-der Reckling said that another 13—“14 with today’s flight”— have yet to be added. On returning to its base at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, the Phoenix will undergo a periodic 400-hour check and maintenance overhaul before Lieutenant-Com-mander Reckling brings it back to Christchurch. This season the aircraft has flown 72,000 miles. And in the last week alone, with three trips to its credit it has been busier than in any other single week of the season.

Attached to the aircraft are three pilots and 14 men. “I might say that these 14 men do the work on the plane that is normally assigned to 50 in any other squadron,” said LieutenantCommander Reckling. “They do everything, cleaning, maintenance and all the loading and unload-

ing. They're a fine bunch of guys.”

Lieutenant - Commander Reckling, who has been flying since he got his wings in 1947, has piloted transport aircraft in many parts of the world. His longest one-way shuttle service was what he called “the embassy run," from California to Dhahran in Saudi Arabia—about 11,000 miles. Aircraft he has piloted include Dakotas, Skymasters, Liftmasters, and the Super-Constellation. Asked for his preference he said: "From a pilot’s point of view I prefer the Liftmaster best. Its system >s easier to operate and the controls are much better and easier to handle.” In February, he said, it was hoped to run four shuttle trips from Quonset Point to McMurdo Sound and back with passengers. Last year three had run between these points but most of the passengers had travelled to New Zealand by sea or in other aircraft before being flown south in the Constellation from Harewood.