Polar aviation
Encyclopedia
Polar aviation refers to aviation
in polar region
s of the Earth. Specifically, one may speak of Arctic aviation and Antarctic aviation in the Arctic
and Antarctica respectively.
The major factors which define the character of the polar aviation is the remoteness from the major populated areas, specific physical geography
and the climate
. Major factors include low temperatures, frequent changes of meteorological conditions, polar night
, uncertain work of compass
, difficulties in radio communication, lack of landmark
s.
is commonly considered to mark the beginning of polar aviation. Later, Zeppelin
s were used for exploitation of the Arctic, and eventually airplanes. In 1914, a Russia
n plane (Farman MF.11
, pilot Jan Nagórski
, mechanic Yevgeni Kuznetsov) flew beyond the Arctic Circle
in the area of Novaya Zemlya
in search of the North Pole expedition of Georgiy Sedov. The beginning of the century witnesses the aviation quest for the North Pole. By the mid-1920s polar aviation had become feasible.
Virginia piloted by Richard Evelyn Byrd
was the first aircraft to land on the mainland
of Antarctica during Byrd's first Antarctic expedition, 1928-1930, when he was first to fly over the South Pole on November 29, 1929.
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
in polar region
Polar region
Earth's polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica...
s of the Earth. Specifically, one may speak of Arctic aviation and Antarctic aviation in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and Antarctica respectively.
The major factors which define the character of the polar aviation is the remoteness from the major populated areas, specific physical geography
Physical geography
Physical geography is one of the two major subfields of geography. Physical geography is that branch of natural science which deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment like the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere, as opposed to the cultural or built environment, the...
and the climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
. Major factors include low temperatures, frequent changes of meteorological conditions, polar night
Polar night
The polar night occurs when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, the polar day, or midnight sun, occurs when the sun stays above the horizon for more than 24 hours.-Description:...
, uncertain work of compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
, difficulties in radio communication, lack of landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
s.
Early history
The dream of air travel to the Pole has a lengthy prehistory. As early as the 1870's, John Powles Cheyne, a veteran of three British Arctic expeditions, was proposing a voyage to the pole via balloon. Nevertheless, in terms of actual flight, S. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition of 1897S. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition of 1897
S. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition of 1897 was an ill-fated effort to reach the North Pole in which all three expedition members perished. S. A. Andrée , the first Swedish balloonist, proposed a voyage by hydrogen balloon from Svalbard to either Russia or Canada, which was to pass,...
is commonly considered to mark the beginning of polar aviation. Later, Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s were used for exploitation of the Arctic, and eventually airplanes. In 1914, a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n plane (Farman MF.11
Farman MF.11
|-See also:-External links:* * *...
, pilot Jan Nagórski
Jan Nagórski
Jan Nagórski , also known by his Russified name of Ivan Nagurski was a Polish engineer and pioneer of aviation, the first person to fly an airplane in the Arctic and the first aviator to perform a loop with a flying boat....
, mechanic Yevgeni Kuznetsov) flew beyond the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
in the area of Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
in search of the North Pole expedition of Georgiy Sedov. The beginning of the century witnesses the aviation quest for the North Pole. By the mid-1920s polar aviation had become feasible.
Early history
Fokker Super UniversalFokker Super Universal
|-References:NotesBibliography* Dierikx, Marc. Fokker: A Transatlantic Biography. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997. ISBN 1-56098-735-9....
Virginia piloted by Richard Evelyn Byrd
Richard Evelyn Byrd
Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., USN was a naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics...
was the first aircraft to land on the mainland
Mainland
Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...
of Antarctica during Byrd's first Antarctic expedition, 1928-1930, when he was first to fly over the South Pole on November 29, 1929.
Further reading
- Prospects of polar aviation in tourismTourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
are discussed in the book "Prospects for Polar Tourism" by John Snyder, Bernard Stonehouse, 2007, ISBN 1845932471, p. 26