Who was the first person to fly over the south pole

The first person to fly over the South Pole was Richard Evelyn Byrd, an American naval officer and explorer. On November 29, 1929, Byrd, along with his co-pilot Bernt Balchen, navigator Harold June, and radio operator Ashley McKinley, made the historic flight in a Ford Trimotor aircraft named "Floyd Bennett" after Byrd’s pilot who flew him over the North Pole and who had died shortly after the North Pole flight.

Extra: Richard E. Byrd is renowned for his polar explorations. After serving in the Navy during World War I, Byrd developed a keen interest in aviation and exploration. He gained fame for claiming to be the first to fly over the North Pole in 1926, though this claim has been subject to controversy. Despite this, it did not deter his ambition for exploration.

The expedition to the South Pole began from a base camp called Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf, and it was a part of a larger exploration project known as the Byrd Antarctic Expedition. The flight to the South Pole and back was roughly 18 hours long. The success of flying over the South Pole had a significant impact on the future of Antarctic exploration by highlighting the potential of aviation in this endeavor. Prior to this achievement, Antarctic exploration was primarily done by ship and sled. The use of aircraft made it possible to explore and map vast areas that were previously inaccessible or would have taken much longer to traverse.

Richard Byrd's contributions to exploration, particularly in polar regions, are recognized as pioneering efforts that opened the door for subsequent scientific research and discovery on the continent of Antarctica. His work also helped establish methodologies and logistical frameworks for future expeditions and highlighted the importance of the polar regions in global scientific and geopolitical discourse.