Alone in the Antarctic

Dean Smith made the touchdown safely, however, no small feat in such a plane. The Ford tri-motors were sluggish, touchy planes. Without power, real skill was needed to manage them. Since the position of the plane was known at all times to those back in Little America, the small Fairchild under the capable hands of Bernt Balchen was able to make the flights to them with additional gasoline. The repairs in the line were made; the take-off and return to Little America were accomplished without further trouble.
Weather at Little America continued calm- light winds and clear greenish-blue skies. But Byrd delayed the flight to the Pole for two reasons. The mechanics needed time to go over the plane again with a fine-tooth comb. And lastly, he was waiting until Larry Gould and his geological party were in position in the Queen Maud Mountains and could relay weather reports by radio. It might be calm at Little America, while a blizzard raged 300 miles to the south. These weather reports from the half-way point were vital.
“Patience, patience, and still more patience,” was Byrd’s counsel to his eager crews.