ANTARCTIC FLIGHTS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29624, 21 September 1961, Page 14

ANTARCTIC FLIGHTS

Four Hercules Delayed

Unfavourable weather at McMurdo Sound caused the commander of the United States Antarctic expedition (Rear-Admiral D. M. Tyree) to postpone last night’s scheduled Hercules flights to Antarctica for 24 hours. The four planes expected to leave Harewood tonight, the first at 11 p.m. and the others at hourly intervals. Because of excessive wind near Macquarie Island, where a jet stream was moving to the west at 115 to 150 knots, and restricted visibility at the Ross Island base. Admiral Tyree made his decision to postpone the flights after his special afternoon conference yesterday. To keep him informed of the weather in Antarctica radio communication was maintained at hourly intervals with Harewood. At McMurdo Sound, blowing snow had built up for 48 hours on the ice runway, and it was hoped the weather would improve so that ground crews would be able to clear it away as soon as possible Visibility was down to 110 yards, with winds up to 30 knots. The commander of the 9th Troop Carrier Squadron (Lieutenant-Colonel F. B. Frost) has offered to make meteorological reconnaissance flights and communication checks as far south as the weather picket ship. Vance, when his aircraft and crews are available. The Vance, which left Dunedin early on Saturday, arrived at its arranged position on Tuesday. The Vance will provide navigational aid and supply continuous meteorological information from the area to aircraft flying over the route.