ARCTIC CHRONOLOGY

 

A Postal History Gallery of Related Events

1954-55






First Commercial SAS Polar Flight From Los Angeles to Europe
1954

 


A 1954 SAS flight over the pole proved the route from Copenhagen to Los Angeles was feasible. On November 14, 1954, a DC6 aircraft, named Royal Viking, left Los Angeles on the first leg of the new commercial service.

A sister aircraft left Norway at 8 P.M. on the 15th, and the planes passed each other in the dark, but about 100 miles apart. (See below).

Fuel stops, required for each plane, were at Winnepeg, Canada and Sondre Stromford, Greenland.

  




and From Europe to Los Angeles
Mail for the first commercial flight from Europe to Los Angles in 1954 originated in Oslo, Norway and Stockholm, Sweden in addition to Copenhagen. The Swedish covers carried a separate cancellation showing the origin of the flight as being in Stockholm.

 

 

Postal Service From the Russian Ice Stations
1955

North Pole 5 . . .

was established in April, 1955 and received infrequent visits by aircraft during the first year. Planes carried mail to and from the station when the weather permitted and surface ice conditions were acceptable for landing. Mail was delivered to Moscow where it apparently was screened before releasing it to the addressee.

Special envelopes were provided without postage and all mail was delivered with postage due of one ruble. This letter was sent to the wife of Zalman Gudkovich in Leningrad.

 


Ice Island T3 Abandoned


When Ice Island T3 floated close to the Canadian weather station at Alert, Canada, its primary function of weather observations were being duplicated and the station was abandoned in April 1954. The station was left intact for possible future use. A special mission in 1955 investigated it for possible reoccupation.


(Exhibition pieces courtesy of George Hall)