These flight goggles were used by Bernt Balchen in 1933 when he served as the pilot for Lincoln Ellsworth's first attempt at a transantarctic flight. The venture failed, however because their aircraft, the Northrop Gamma Polar Star, was damaged when the ice floe on which it was resting boke apart.

 Display Status

This object is on display in Thomas W. Haas We All Fly at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Thomas W. Haas We All Fly
Object Details
Date 1933 Country of Origin United States of America Type PERSONAL EQUIPMENT-Helmets & Headwear Pilot Bernt Balchen
 Manufacturer E. B. Meyrowitz
 Physical Description Metal frames with unusual amber non-glare lenses and rubber pads. Dimensions 3-D: 17.8 × 2.5 × 7cm (7 × 1 × 2 3/4 in.)
 Materials Metal frames with rubber pads and glass lenses.
 Inventory Number A19840378000 Credit Line Gift of Mrs. Bernt Balchen Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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