’PLANE IN FLIGHT TALKS TO NEW YOKK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 24, 28 January 1929, Page 7

’PLANE IN FLIGHT TALKS TO NEW YOKK

A REMARKABLE FEAT [ Australian Press Assn. ] Bece : ved Jan. 27, 5.5 p.m. NEW YORK, Jan. 25. ' A record for radio and aviation was established early this morning, when Commander Byrd’s ’plane, flying at an altitude of 3000fc. conducted two-way communication direct with the New York Times’ radio station, the distance between the ’plane and the receiver being 10,000 miles. It was the first time a ’plane in flight had sent and received messages at such a long distance. It was 10.30 o’clock in New York when Carl Peterson, aboard the City of New York, called the Times and said Malcolm Hansen, radio chief of the expedition, would make a test flight aboard a ’plane at 8.15 p.m. in the Bay of Whales. Reginald lx rson, radio engineer at the Tinies station, tuned his dial to the 34 channel, and found that the operator nearest the South Pole had kept his rendezvous. Iverson soon picked the signal of the aeroplane flying over the Antarctic. “Go ahead,” Iverson flashed back, and then followed an official message to Commander Hooper at the Navy Department in Washington. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE MB BBOPHY INTEBVIEWED [ Per Press As.oci.tio-, 1 AUCKLAND, Jan, 26. Commander Byrd will make his next flight in the Antarctic over King Edward Land, states a private cable received in Auckland this morning by Mr Richard G. Brophy, second in command of the Byrd expedition, who arrived from Wellington by the Limited express. Mr Brophy has come north to complete arrangements for the shipment of a team of 15 dogs which will arrive by thc Niagara to-morrow from Vancouver. These dogs which are under the charge of Mr Innes Taylor, aviation pilot and dog trainer, will be sent south by a fast goods train on Monday evening, and will be transported from Wellington to Lyttelton on Wednesday night. Arrangements have been made to place them in quarantine at Dunedin until they are shipped on thc Eleanor Bolling next month. A quantity of scientific gear which is being brought from America will also be loaded on the Eleanor Bolling at Dunedin. An aeroplane, two tractors, 8000 gallons of aviation petrol, 4000

gallons of Kerosene for heating “Little America,” the Byrd home in the Antarctic, and 2000* gallons of ordinary petrol for tractors and automobiles, makes up the bulky portion of thc shipment. now in store at Dunedin. Portable Houses Also there are four portable houses, especially insulated and built to withstand a blizzard of 150 miles an hour, and foodstuffs to augment supplies sufficiently to meet the requirements of 40 men for 18 months. “The City of New York,” said Mr Brophy, “will have to be out of the Antarctic before March 15, and consideration is being given to the possibility of a cruise of the South Pacific during thc winter to carry out charting investigations with the aid of a sonic depth finder installed on board. “Personally I don’t expect to visit Antarctic until next year,” continued Mr Brophy. “I shall go by the. City of New r York on her first trip after winter.” During the interval, Mr Brophy may have to revisit America to arrange for the raising of the balance of the funds necessary for the expedition. “We have received numerous contributions in cash and merchandise from friends and supporters of the expedition in New Zealand, and for these we are very grateful,” remarked Mr Brophy. He added that the expedition was steadily being built up to its full strength. Its total financial value when completed would be .1,500,000 dollars, including the two ships now in use. four aeroplanes, two large crawler tractors, two automobiles, extensive scientific equipment and 15,000 dollars worth of fur clothing boots and shoes, some of which cost 50 dollars a pair. So large are some of the boots that there will be no difficulty in accommodating four or five pairs of thick socks. Use of Tractors Regarding the problem of transport, Mr Brophy said the use of the tractors to relieve the dog teams should be a great success. The caterpillar type had been well tested in snow conditions in North America, and such tractors were in constant use in the lumbering and mining districts in temperatures as, much as 40 deg. below freezing point. This was made possible by using kerosene for the cooling system. The expedition also had an automobile equipped with skis on the front and a caterpillar tread on the rear wheels, and Mr Brophy had arranged to take his personal car to the Antarctic, where he expected to find it adaptable to snow travel.