Pioneering aviation in the Antarctic

The introduction Of the aircraft to the Antarctic opened up the continent for exploration on a scale not previously seen. The first flight in the Antarctic was in a reconnaissance balloon named Eva. On February 4th 1902, Robert Scott made an ascent in a tethered hydrogen balloon reaching a height of 250m (Headland, 1989, Gurney, 2000). The purpose of the balloon was to make aerial surveys and weather observations (Huxley, 1977). "The honour of being the first aeronaut in Antarctica, perhaps somewhat selfishly, I chose for myself," said Scott (Burke, 1994 p9). Refer to figure l, a shot of Eva about to ascend, 4th February 1902. Scott may have been the first to fly, but it was Shackleton on the same expedition who took Antarctica's first aerial photographs. Not everyone in this party saw the merits in the balloon flight, as Dr. Edward Wilson (doctor with the party) wrote "the whole ballooning business . ...an exceedingly dangerous amusement" (Carter, 1979, p23). Next to fly was the German scientist-explorer Erich von Drygalski. On 29 March 1902 he went to heights nearly double that of the British, again in a tethered balloon. The introduction Of the aircraft to the Antarctic opened up the continent for exploration on a scale not previously seen. The first flight in the Antarctic was in a reconnaissance balloon named Eva. On February 4th 1902, Robert Scott made an ascent in a tethered hydrogen balloon reaching a height of 250m (Headland, 1989, Gurney, 2000). The purpose of the balloon was to make aerial surveys and weather observations (Huxley, 1977). "The honour of being the first aeronaut in Antarctica, perhaps somewhat selfishly, I chose for myself," said Scott (Burke, 1994 p9). Refer to figure l, a shot of Eva about to ascend, 4th February 1902. Scott may have been the first to fly, but it was Shackleton on the same expedition who took Antarctica's first aerial photographs. Not everyone in this party saw the merits in the balloon flight, as Dr. Edward Wilson (doctor with the party) wrote "the whole ballooning business . ...an exceedingly dangerous amusement" (Carter, 1979, p23). Next to fly was the German scientist-explorer Erich von Drygalski. On 29 March 1902 he went to heights nearly double that of the British, again in a tethered balloon