FLIGHT TO THE POLE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16458, 17 June 1924, Page 5

FLIGHT TO THE POLE.

TO START NEXT MONTH. AMUNDSEN’S EXPEDITION. (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, June 16. The Daily Chronicle 'says Captain Amundsen states he expects the flightto (lie' Pole will -begin in the middle of July, when most water is around the Pole, and will end in the- middle- of August. All three Dornier whale aeroplanes are fitted with skisi, so as to he able to take off from and land on the water, ice or snow. The flights from Pisa to Spitsbergen, 2300 miles, will be the acid, test- of pilots and material. The aeroplanes’ mothership of 4CO tons is now beihg equipped at Tromso, and will he sent a-s far north, as the ice permits, ■Starting from the ship, Amundsen proposes that the three aeroplanes, loaded to. their full capacity with gasolene, will fly 400 miles, when Amundsen lea-ves the first plane, which gives- its surplus fuel to fill the tanks of tlie other aeroplanes. The second and third aeroplanes will go on another four hundred miles, when the second will fill tlie tanks of the third, which will enable Amundsen to reach. Alaska. The other two- aeroplanes will meanwhile act as radio stations, keeping tlie expedition in touch with the ship and with Spitsbergen. -Special messages describing the Amundsen- flight will be despatched by wireless from aeroplanes to the Chronicle during the flight.

Lieutenant Davison, of tlie American Navy, pilots the first- plane., that contributed by Italy being commanded hy Locatelli, who accompanied d’Annunzio in his flight- over Vienna- during the war. Haakon and Hammer will, 1 he responsible for the search for the ships Annie and Teddy in North East Greenland.