Northwest History. Aviation 8. Wilkins' Expedition, United States.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1926
• Subjects: snowstorm; arctic trail; George H. Wilkins; Detroit arctic expedition; Fairbanks; trail flight; three-engined Fokker monoplane; Thomas Gl Lanphier; flying division; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Aviation; Arctic; Detroit; Pacific; The Landing; Wilkins; Alaska
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/86135

Snow Blocks Arctic Trial: Detroiter Ready For Test Hop, But Storm Halts It -- Lanphier Recovers. SNOW BLOCKS ARCTIC TRIAL Detroiter Ready for Test Hop, but Storm Halts It—Lanphier Recovers. By Captain George H. Wilkins, Commander of Detroit arctic expedition. Copyright, 1926, by North American Newspaper Alliance. FAIRBANKS, Alaska, March 15. -- A snowstorm that swooped down after a sudden change in wind today blocked arrangements of the Detroit flight of its three-engined Fokker monoplane. At noon, after three inches of freshly fallen snow covered the landing field, the men reluctantly taxied the Detroiter back into the hangar, covered the engine with canvas bags and slug lanterns in the bags to keep the engines warm. The season is advancing rapidly. It is quite three weeks ahead of normal years, and if the expedition is to take advantage of the period of fine weather that in the arctic usually precedes the advent of spring it must not delay. Major Thomas, G. Lanphier, unofficial army observer with the flying division, who strained a tendon a week ago in working about the planes and whose injury had occasioned some uneasiness, will be in condition to fly the Detroiter when she leaves here, he was told by a specialist today. The aviators were astir clearly this morning warming oil for the engines. Snow clouds hung low over the mountains to the west, but the wind was blowing toward them. By the time the motors were started, however, the wind had changed 170 degrees and the clouds swept down upon the field with their burden of snow.