THE POLAR FLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19929, 24 April 1928, Page 10

THE POLAR FLIGHT.

It was apparent from the first news of Captain Wilkins" success in flying from Alaska to SVal.bard that" a marvellous feat in aerial navigation had been performed. The details now available, supplied by Captain Wilkins himself, impressively confirm this judgment. What he describes as "careful navigation" is seen to be one of the most daring, and at the same time one of the most skilful, achievements in aeronautics. Travelling by compass, without any possibility of auxiliary guidance from whatever might be seen for long stretches of the journey, and under necessity to make calculated changes of course in order to hold the great-circle route, the airmen made their objective within ft negligible fraction. Nothing finer has been done in aviation, and the flight will go down in history as a triumph of scientific endeavour. Added to this is its remarkable achievement as an instance of human courage and endurance. Great risks were incurred and surmounted. The story of the landing on Dead Man's Island and the perilous attempts to make a start again, with only twenty gallons of petrol left, is thrilling in the extreme. The airmen were faced with irreparable disaster, but held to their purpose. To Lieutenant Eielson's consummate skill in handling the machine at a time of grave crisis, the final success of the flight is largely due, and he shares with Captain Wilkins the honours of this ever-memorable feat. The narrative now given to the world justifies fully all that has been said by men experienced in polar flight about this heroic venture and the superb qualities of the men who have succeeded in it.