I don't think people are really knocking these "adventurers" for making these flights. It's just not particularly difficult if you have the money and a little commonsense, i.e. able to understand a met forecast, able to flight plan the fuel requirements correctly, able to not get too bored on long ferry flights and have a tough bum that doesn't get too numb.
As Whirlbird said if she had the money, she would like to do it and I'm quite sure she could.
Most of these "firsts" occured over 40 years ago in the antarctic, not sure about the northern end. Oz companies were flying the Hiller 12 in the antarctic years before some of these heroes were born. And of course helicopters were far more basic then and no gps.
So if doing this takes your fancy, go for it but remember it's no big deal.
Now doing a rescue in mid Atlantic on a black stormy night, that's difficult.
