MID-WINTER FLIGHT

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31000, 4 March 1966, Page 14

MID-WINTER FLIGHT

U.S. Antarctic Plan

The United States Navy planned a mid-winter experimental flight to the Antarctic in June, 1967. The commander of the United States ' T avy Antarctic Support Force (Read-Admiral F. E. Bakutis) said yesterday.

He said (here would be only one mid-winter flight, probably by a Navy VX6 skiequipped Hercules, although a Starlifter might be used. Representatives of the National Science Foundation have advocated mid-winter flights for the last three years, although it has been left to the Navy to fully examine whether such flights are practical. The Navy now has a ski-way 14 miles from McMurdo Station on t K e Ross Ice Shelf,” good for at least 10 years.”

The first successful midwinter flight was made to McMurdo Station on June 26, 1964, when Mr B. L. McMullen, a serious ly-iil Seabee, was evacuated after a bad fall in the station firehouse. The 2100-mile flight was made by a VX6 skl-er tipped Hercules. Reviewing his first year of Antarctic ermmand, Admiral Bakutis said the over-all operation had been challenging and without a dull moment Most of what had been attempted had been successful and had “surpassed all my expectations.” The only exception was the aerial photo-mapping project over Marie Byrd Land. Admiral Bakutis said only 40 per cent of the programme had been completed this season, mainly because of weather problems.