Ada Quonsett
13th Jan 2008, 13:40
THE champagne was on ice until the first passenger plane touched down in Antarctica yesterday.
The Airbus A319 landed in -16 degrees Celsius (3 degrees Fahrenheit) on
Wilkins Runway, carved out of ice by lasers.
Flights will now run weekly for scientists to explore the frozen continent
and research penguins. A team of scientists took 4½ hours to fly in from
Hobart, Tasmania. It used to take five weeks by sea.
Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett said: "It's a logistical
triumph." And there was no chilly reception from the locals
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article679624.ece
The Airbus A319 landed in -16 degrees Celsius (3 degrees Fahrenheit) on
Wilkins Runway, carved out of ice by lasers.
Flights will now run weekly for scientists to explore the frozen continent
and research penguins. A team of scientists took 4½ hours to fly in from
Hobart, Tasmania. It used to take five weeks by sea.
Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett said: "It's a logistical
triumph." And there was no chilly reception from the locals
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article679624.ece