NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



for a large part of the year, but is generally free 

 throughout September and October, as well as for 

 much of the time in August. It could probably 

 eventually be made into at least an emergency 

 stopping place. 



From Reykjavik it is 850 miles to Edinburgh 

 on the way to London, and, if desired, by a slight 

 detour the Faroes could be made an intermediate 

 stopping place. A safe landing could undoubt- 

 edly be made upon the ice-cap of Greenland itself 

 within zones each at least 100 miles in width on 

 either side of the central area. Within these zones 

 the snow surface of the ice is packed so hard as to 

 leave no tracks from sledges passing over it. The 

 central area of perhaps one hundred miles in width 

 is covered over with deep and mealy snow on 

 which landing would probably be more difficult. 

 Within the marginal zone some fifty or more miles 

 in width, the slope of the ice is steep and is covered 

 by crevasses or by deep water channels. None 

 the less Hassell was able in the summer of 1928 

 to make a safe landing at an estimated distance of 

 about ten miles only from the western ice margin. 



The peculiar air circulation of Greenland which 

 has already been described, is such that the avi- 

 ator by regulating his altitude can probably cross 

 in either direction with a tail wind for much of 



364 



