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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