When Hubert Wilkins made his aerial survey of Graham Land (now the Antarctic Peninsula), he observed a number of channels which appeared to cut across and divide the peninsula into a series of islands.

His flight with Ben Eielson piloting the Lockheed Vega, was down the eastern side of the peninsula and he noted numerous deep channels which almost cut right across. They took off from Deception Island at 8.20am. Then the first of what appeared to Wilkins to definitely be channels was named Crane Channel. They continued the flight southwards and Casey Channel was seen and named. Then at 12.50pm Wilkins saw and named Lurabee Channel. He was by now convinced that Graham land was not connected with the Antarctic mainland.

This flight was made on December 20 and the plane was burdened with a maximum load of fuel and the pilots and navigator carried 30 days of emergency rations and survival equipment in their packs. The flight took 10 hours and they flew to 71 ° 20'S at longitude 64 ° 15'W, before having to return. A second flight on January 10 confirmed the observations of the first flight.

H R Mill of the Royal Geographical Society and a noted Antarctic historian wrote that "it would be too much to claim that the two flights made from Deception Island have solved any of the great Antarctic problems that have been puzzling explorers for generations - but they have done more to suggest possible solutions and to point the way to future investigations."

Eielson, Carl Ben (1897-1930)