Oskar Omdal
Encyclopedia
Oskar Omdal was a Lieutenant and pilot in the Norwegian Navy.
, in Vest-Agder
, Norway
in 1895. He attended the Norwegian Naval Flight School (Marinens flygevåpen) in Horten
in 1919 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1922. In 1923 with Roald Amundsen
he tried to fly from Wainwright, Alaska
to Spitsbergen
across the North Pole
. Amundsen and Omdal's aircraft was damaged and they abandoned the journey.
Omdal died on December 25, 1927 with Frances Wilson Grayson
and Brice Goldsborough as they were flying to Nova Scotia
to prepare to cross the Atlantic Ocean
to set the record for the first woman to cross.
and Oscar Omdal terrace in the Hamresanden district of Kristiansand are both named after him.
In 1928, the Ontario Surveyor General named a number of lakes in the northwest of the province to honour aviators who had perished during 1927, mainly in attempting oceanic flights. These include Goldsborough Lake (50.70°N 89.34°W), Grayson Lake (50.88°N 89.43°W) and Omdahl [sic] Lake (50.81°N 89.49°W) which are in close proximity to each other in the Wabakimi Provincial Park
.
Biography
He was born in KristiansandKristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
, in Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1895. He attended the Norwegian Naval Flight School (Marinens flygevåpen) in Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
in 1919 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1922. In 1923 with Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
he tried to fly from Wainwright, Alaska
Wainwright, Alaska
Wainwright or Ulguniq or Kuuk is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 546, making it the third largest city in the North Slope Borough. The community was named after Wainwright Lagoon, which in turn was named an officer under Capt. F.W....
to Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
across the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
. Amundsen and Omdal's aircraft was damaged and they abandoned the journey.
Omdal died on December 25, 1927 with Frances Wilson Grayson
Frances Wilson Grayson
Frances Wilson Grayson was an American aviatrix who died flying to Newfoundland just prior to her trip to cross the Atlantic Ocean.-Birth and education:...
and Brice Goldsborough as they were flying to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to prepare to cross the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to set the record for the first woman to cross.
Legacy
Oscar Omdal street in StavangerStavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
and Oscar Omdal terrace in the Hamresanden district of Kristiansand are both named after him.
In 1928, the Ontario Surveyor General named a number of lakes in the northwest of the province to honour aviators who had perished during 1927, mainly in attempting oceanic flights. These include Goldsborough Lake (50.70°N 89.34°W), Grayson Lake (50.88°N 89.43°W) and Omdahl [sic] Lake (50.81°N 89.49°W) which are in close proximity to each other in the Wabakimi Provincial Park
Wabakimi Provincial Park
Wabakimi Provincial Park is a wilderness park located to the northwest of Lake Nipigon in the province of Ontario, Canada. The park contains a vast and interconnected network of more than 2,000 kilometres of lakes and rivers...
.
Other sources
- Arlov, Thor B. (2003) Svalbards historie (Trondheim: Akademisk Forlag) ISBN 82-519-1851-0