747SP with U.S. registration N533PA, on October 28–30, 1977. (October 28, 1977 was the 50th anniversary of Pan Am's first (airmail) flight, from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba: about 90 miles.) As one of the world's foremost Arctic experts, Balchen was sought out by numerous companies and government agencies including Canada and Norway. Balchen was hired as a consultant by Hercules Oil, then Phillips Petroleum and Moran Towing on plans to extract oil from Alaska using pipelines. According to a 1972 article in The Christian Science Monitor, Balchen asserted that "a general warming trend over the North Pole is melting the polar ice cap and may produce an ice-free Arctic Ocean by the year 2000." In his native Norway, Balchen was a driving force in the establishment of Det Norske Luftfartselskap (D.N.L.) ("The Norwegian Airline Company"), with which he pioneered commercial Europe–US airline flights across the North Pole. D.N.L. later merged with Danish and Swedish airlines into the major carrier Scandinavian Airlines. Death and burial Balchen continued to work in consultancy until his death. In his final year, he was diagnosed with bone cancer, and he died at Mount Kisco, New York in 1973. Balchen was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. He is buried in Section 2, Grave 4969, next to Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Honors and tributes Balchen was a winner of the Harmon Trophy in aviation. The annual "International Aviation Snow Symposium", sponsored by the Northeast (U.S.) Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives, created the Bernt Balchen Award in his memory in 1976 to recognize airports excelling in snow and ice control. In 1973, Balchen was inducted in the National Aviation Hall of Fame In 1976, Balchen was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame. Balchen was also a recipient of the following military decorations: United States decorations and medals Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Soldier's Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal American Defense Service Medal with star American Campaign Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three campaign stars World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal International orders and medals Commander 1st Class The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (Norway's highest civilian decoration) King Christian X's Liberty Medal (Denmark) Victory Medal (France) Verdun Medal