Our Polar Flight

The day the brothers Wright rose and flew the curtain went up on a new era in the history of mankind. Many were certain that they could see great possibilities opening up for mankind in general, and particularly for them in their own branch of work, but few, I think, saw such possibilities of making a full and complete change in his work as the Polar explorer. What he has tried for years to accomplish would now be possible for him to achieve in a very short space of time. Century after century had he worked with his primitive means, the dog—the sledge. Day after day he had exerted himself with all his craft, all his intelligence, and all his will, yet had only covered a few miles over the vast ice desert. What courage, what tenacity, had been shown in the fight against cold, hunger and hardships. What a brilliant example of sacrifice and self-denial. Year after year shut up in a tiny little ship, surrounded by the same people, equipped with only the most necessary things, he had worked up to this time through the greatest of difficulties, through the hardest tests—cold and darkness. And now, all at once, in one moment, the whole of this was to be changed. Cold and darkness should be dispersed becoming warmth and light instead; for the complete and troublesome journey should be changed now to a speedy flight. In truth the possibilities were great. No rationing, no hunger or thirst—only a short flight. As in a dream, seen as a far-away possibility, there was ignited that day a small spark which should quickly blaze up to a mighty fire and in the course of a few years become one of our most important means of communication. Emerging from its swaddling-clothes, flying freed itself and went into its cradle when Bleriot flew across the Channel. It was then speedily led by the world’s war through its childhood where it (developing with the years—slowly or quickly who can say?) was led into youth—into manhood! What the possibilities would become it was difficult to say, but one had to be satisfied with what was there—flying’s childhood. The young inexperienced birds leaving their nests show us an example. Some will hurt their wings, others will break them altogether, but, it is just as certain that, just as they do, so will mankind also succeed in reaching his goal in the world of flying.
As I learned of Bleriot’s flight, I knew at once that the time had come to think of using the air to help the Polar expeditions. Certainly human power and skill had overcome and conquered vast tracts of this mighty unknown whiteness, but enormous tracts remained unexplored—tracts which now could be reached from the air. My thoughts turned especially to the enormous area in the Arctic which until now had withstood every attempt. Certainly Nansen, the Duke of the Abruzzi, and Peary had drawn lines through the unknown doing great and brilliant work, but colossal and unknown tracts still lay in front of them unexplored. Should we have had to continue exploration in the same old manner we should have had to wait many years before our knowledge had become complete. If one had used the word “impossible” it seems absolutely reasonable to have used it in connection with the exploration of this immense ice desert; but it seems that the word “impossible” has been scratched out of the dictionary of mankind. How often have we seen the impossible made possible! What was impossible yesterday is an easy matter to-day. Bleriot’s flight across the Channel showed me the conquering of the impossible. When I, in the year 1909, equipped the “Fram” for a trip to the Arctic, I had a conference with one of the most esteemed aviators of the day. He declared himself as willing to go with me. But it never came off, a fact which probably was for the best, as in the case of both parties it was put off on economical grounds. I mention this in order to draw attention to the fact that the idea of exploring the Polar regions from the air is not a recent plan. I have been attacked from many sides because I have “stolen” the plans of others; this seems to me childish and scarcely worth talking about, but many people take childish things for grim earnest if they have not a closer knowledge of the circumstances. Therefore, these few words.