FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1845.PDF
November 4th, 1948 FLIGHT ANTARCTIC AND AVIATION By FRANK ILLIJiG WORTH THE argument over the ownership of Antarcticterritory due south of Cape Horn is likely to intensifyin the near future. Britain's claim to this territoryis incontestable in International Law and is not likely to be dropped; likewise, Chile and Argentina, show no signs of weakening in their demands, and it is thought in White- hall that both these countries will take advantage of Britain's preoccupation in Europe to land task forces with- in hailing distance of each of the seven British outposts in the Antarctic during the coming Far Southern summer. Chile's claims are based on facts no more material than that the Antarctic islands off Grahamland were once part of the South American continent and are therefore within the Chilean sphere; and Argentina lays claim to this same area on the basis that she has maintained one (British- built) meteorological station there, which station she was allowed to man only with the permission of the British Foreign Office. Group Captain Alexander Campbell is leader of the Australian parties in the Antarctic. We may one day have trans-south polar air routes, butmeantime a circum-polar chain of met. stations is the aim of the Powers interested in air transport and whaling inthe Southern Hemisphere, explains the author (who was asked to join the British Expedition now on its way to theAntarctic). The Colonial Office's supply ship John Biscoe off Signy Island, where there is a British met. and wireless station. Marine (whale) biology is the main scientific work being done. Both Argentina and Chile have refused the British sug- gestion that the argument be placed before the International Court at The Hague, and have turned down the U.S. proposal for a world conference of the countries interested in the. Far South. The United States neither admits nor denies the claims of other countries in An- tarctica, which attitude has led to close co-operation be- tween British and American land and air expeditions in the Far South. What is the reason for the marked international interest in the 5,000,000 square miles of ice at the bottom of the world ? The first answer is that the storms that rage across an ice continent larger than Europe affect weather conditions over much of the South Atlantic, South Pacific and South Indian Oceans, and a chain of meteorological stations in the Antarctic would make for safer air and sea communi- cations in the Southern Hemisphere. This the primary reason for South Africa establishing herself in Prince Edward and Marion Islands last February, and Australia in the incredibly lonely and wild Macquarie and Heard Islands. Permanent scientific outposts are being set up there for the study not only of meteorology but of cosmic radiation and radio transmission. Radio contact was first made between the Canadian Arctic and the Australian Antarctic last February; further experiments are to be made. It is significant that the leader of the Australian parties is an airman, Group Captain Alexander Campbell, formerly of the R.A.F. Washington's Aviation Daily stated recently that '' Australia and South Africa are considering plans to open an air route to Britain via the South Polar regions in the event of the Middle East being closed to air transport."
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
