On Halloween 1956, Lt. Cmdr. Conrad 'Gus' Shinn piloted the first plane to land at the South Pole, despite brutal temperatures near -60°F. The landing was historic, as it was only the third time humans had reached the southernmost point of the Earth. Shinn faced immense challenges during takeoff, requiring rockets to dislodge the plane from the ice. His successful return flight opened new avenues for Antarctic research and logistics, leading to the establishment of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and ongoing scientific studies.
"In retrospect, it was sheer madness," said the pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Conrad "Gus" Shinn, reflecting on the challenges faced during the historic flight to the South Pole.
By flying to the pole and back, Cmdr. Shinn - who died May 15 at 102 - helped open up a new era of Antarctic research, demonstrating that it was possible for personnel and supplies to be flown to one of the world's most desolate places.
Cmdr. Shinn said that getting to the pole was the easy part. Getting back proved far more challenging, requiring the use of more than a dozen small rockets to dislodge the plane.
Friends said that long after he retired, when he was introduced to strangers as "the first man to land at the South Pole," he would gently note: "Well, that's true. But more importantly, I'm the first man to take off from the South Pole."
Collection
[
|
...
]