Why were lighter-than-air craft used in the Arctic?

Question

straight out of the book.

Answer 1

They also had VTOL ability, they could land and take off with no runway, if they had to land....an aircraft would probably never get off the rough surface of the Arctic landscape. But mostly because they could float above it, and not have to traverse the dangerous and jagged surfaces below them, and cover FAR more ground than any dog-sled, and outlast any airplane ( even without fuel, they could float until they reached civilization again ). Either way, a pretty good way to explore the Arctic region.

- The Gremlin Guy -  

Answer 2

Early arctic air explorers used  lighter than air ships because they were the only things at the time that had the range/ endurance  capabilities for round trip flight.