Admiral Richard E. Byrd Collection

An avid adventurer and aviation pioneer, Admiral Richard E. Byrd participated in five expeditions to Antarctica. Admiral Byrd wore the parka on display during his first expedition to Antarctica in 1928. He carried the National Geographic Flag, displayed over the right forearm of the parka. Byrd is an important figure in aviation history, as he purportedly became the first person to fly across the North Pole in 1926 and is the first to fly across the South Pole in 1929. 

Three aircraft, a Ford Tri-Motor, "Floyd Bennett," along with a Fokker Super Universal, "Virginia" and a Fairchild, "Stars and Stripes" accompanied the 1928 team. Named after Byrd's late friend, the big Ford Tri-Motor, "Floyd Bennett," made history when it flew across the South Pole on November 29, 1929. 

Designed and built over 18 months by the Museum's model shop volunteers, the 1/8 scale Byrd Tri-motor model on display has a wingspan of nearly ten feet and covered with corrugated aluminum just like the original. Volunteers contributed an estimated 3500 to 4000 hours to build this stunning model.

Ford Tri-Motor "Floyd Bennett" Model at Frontiers of Flight Museum. Video Credit: Erik Johnston, 2015.

The Byrd collection includes a rock from the Harold Byrd Mountain Range in Antartica, named after Adm. Byrd's cousin, Harold Byrd, a Texas oilman.