SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Bernt Balchen was born just outside of Kristiansand, Norway on October 23, 1899. He was known as a navigator, mechanical engineer, polar aviator and distinguished military leader in the course of his life.
While his military career began in WWI, Balchen never saw any action in that conflict. He did, however, experience serious wounds during a cavalry charge in the Finnish Civil War, which turned him toward athletics, and he trained to represent Norway as a boxer for the 1920 Olympics. When he was notified of his qualification for flight training in the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service, he pursued that instead.
The feats Balchen accomplished in aviation from that point forward were impressive. He was instrumental in the rescue mission for explorer Roald Amundsen from the Svalbard archipelago, which resulted in the two men becoming life-long friends. He supported other polar flights with both his mechanical, outdoor, and survival skills. In 1929 as chief pilot, he became one of the first men to fly over the South Pole. That flight is still considered one of history’s greatest aviation accomplishments.
Polar flights weren’t the only aviation Balchen participated in. He was a vital part of the crew that flew across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to France in 1927. He also led successful rescue missions. As his reputation grew, he was sought out and hired in 1931 by Amelia Earhart to advise for her planned solo transatlantic flight.
Balchen played important roles during WWII, and was an asset to the Allied forces, being that he held dual Norwegian and American citizenship. One vital project he was a part of included training over 2,500 Norwegian aviators and mechanics on a base in Ontario, Canada. He continued to be involved in training and rescue missions after the war and retired in 1956. In his retirement, he worked as a consultant and continued to participate in history, including as a passenger on board the first flight to circumnavigate the Earth by flying over both poles.
When Bernt Balchen died at age 73, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He continues to be remembered on what would have been his 125th birthday for the many contributions to aviation and polar expedition he made during his life.