In Gordon Vette publication "Impact Erebus" on page 42 there is a chart that is shown as "Antarctic strip chart showing McMurdo route:Annex 1.
"In the Antarctic envelope handed to the crew at their pre- despatch briefing shortly before take off, was an Antarctic strip chart which depicted two routes between New Zealand and McMurdo. both routes ran through the Byrd reporting point in the middle of McMurdo Sound"
Even on the scale reduced enough to fit on to the book page Beaufort Island is clearly shown as to be passed on the port side if they were on the track they believed they were on.
Would this flight have been conducted the way it was if there had of been a C AA airline inspector onboard? I have heard one was scheduled to do the trip but had to cancel due to family reasons. Not confirmed only heard through grapevine many years ago.