TRANS-ARCTIC AVIATION—PLISCHKE 287 
TRANS-ARCTIC FLYING DISTANCES 
The distances of air travel between many major locations through- 
out the world, especially within the Northern Hemisphere, can be 
markedly reduced if trans-Arctic air routes are pursued, as illustrated 
by the accompanying tables. 
. The distance between New York and Moscow is about 1,000 miles 
shorter via the Arctic Basin and its peripheral landed areas. From 
Seattle to Calcutta the distance is almost 5,000 miles shorter, while 
over 6,000 miles is saved along the polar route from London to Tokyo. 
Similarly, the distances between New York and Tokyo and between 
San Francisco and either Moscow or London is thousands of miles 
shorter via the Arctic. 
Further implications of polar air geography are of striking interest. 
From North Cape (Norway) it is just as far to Washington, D. C., as 
it is to Detroit, Chicago, Des Moines, or Seattle. Chicago is as close 
to every capital of Europe as it is to Buenos Aires. Milwaukee, De- 
troit, and other great midwestern war production centers, are closer 
to Russia by air than are any of the great seaports of the United States. 
Taste 2.—Trans-Arctic long-distance flying 
From— To— Miles Hours Minutes 
INIT eR eS ee PRG Si 2 2 se ee oe 4, 900 16 20 
Marae. Seis a /s. 43S Moscow... 332-242-254 5, 050 16 50 
DRIED ae ce Miumrmensk 220.02 52. 4, 150 13 50 
Heres rTa TA Ce ee eel Ra Mokyor et) Stiitial LR 5, 500 18 20 
Los Angeles.__-+.------ Murmansk... ~:=- 5, 845 19 29 
Mines polis... 1 oo Ae arabs eke aes he 8, 000 26 40 
oS SAT eo | ll pp igarietet: Teese): s 4, 650 15 30 
IN(a 7 NAGY RE a Se OE ieee oa Berlin 2422552 ee ee, Sree » 4, 000 13 20 
[Dyce eee a aa eee Chungking 6222222 7, 600 25 20 
] DY) Sek See ea aes Sid Ondons! = Lew ate 3, 475 11 35 
1D) Qe age ee fes Se pees Moscow 2255225 32) Set 4, 600 15 20 
Dc POR eet ae Bee Murmmans kee Sees 4, 000 13 20 
{DOI 5 ep eee aS SES eS Mok yous ee seas ee 5, 900 19 40 
San Francisco----------- Berpens 3.2 ceo eh. a2 4, 750 15 50 
( nee S MandOne. eames 2 5, 150 lve 10 
By Querietet) shhs 2h ek Moscowst) 222 i Ste | 5, 650 18 50 
Dieta es eed Ok yous as aS Lae 4, 500 2 ee eae ee 
“Sy CE Rao OS eo LOOKS Tip: eae eee ae 7, 225 24 50 
The saving in mileage and time by following these Arctic airlanes 
is considerable. At 300 miles per hour—which is by no means an 
impossible rate of speed in the light of recent increases in flying 
rates—transports can easily carry their passengers and cargoes be- 
tween Berlin and Tokyo, Chicago and Moscow, Montreal and Igarka, 
New York and Berlin or Moscow, and San Francisco and London or 
Tokyo in less than half the time it takes a crack train to make a 
nonstop run from New York to San Francisco at 80 miles an hour. 
