Pole Navigation

Admiral Byrd documented that his gyroscope and compass were spinning when he flew near the NP.  How in the heck does a pilot determine what direction they are flying in the poles?

I think you can use the sun, moon and stars for approximate bearings in the absence of a GPS system.

Admiral Byrd also thought the Earth was hollow and the entrance was at the poles.  What a loon. 

I've brought this point up a number of times during discussions when we discuss navigation near the poles. People generally misunderstand that the magnetic field lines are nearly vertical throughout the Antarctic and Arctic circles. The compass does not work in those areas, since the needle attempts to point downwards.

If you look at the magnetic field lines on an illustration you'd notice that the lines are nearly vertical throughout the Arctic and Antarctic circles. It's actually only a relatively small strip of land where the compass works, near the warmer areas where everyone lives. Even at the altitude of Seattle Washington the compass is already scraping along the bottom of the dish.

That aside, there is some controversy on whether Byrd truly flew over the pole.