Trans-antarctic routes?

[samusi01]

This question came up recently during an ETOPS discussion at school. Does anyone know of any trans-antarctic routes, for example Australia-South America? Have they ever been attempted or tested?

Thanks

[compressor stall]

To my knowledge there is no need to overfly the pole of the Antarctic continent proper - and it's all due to geography. Take a look at a map of the southern hemisphere - all continents are a long way north (except patagonia from which transcontinental flights do not originate anyway).

Sydney is only 33S and JNB 26S.

Between east coast Australia (there's only 1 million on the west, and they won't be leaving in a hurry for South America!) and the southern most international airport in Chile I can find (SCTE or El Tepual at 41S) the great circle route still dows not curve far enough south over its 6000nm leg to reach the ice.

The Johannesburg (South Africa) to Sydney (Aus) track takes you down as far as Heard Island before curving back up again.

Put in

the great circle mapper (http://gc.kls2.com/) the following route JNB-SYD-SCTE and all should be clear.

CS

Edit: Try (Perth) PER-SCCI (at 51S near the tip of Patagonia) - that goes over the Antarctic continent, but is not a well travelled route!!!!! The map generated for that flight on the great cirlce mapper will help to answer your question too.

[john_tullamarine]

Travelling Sydney to Joburg on Qantas to pick up a contract job, several of us spent a few hours in the jumpseat (this was a few months prior to 9/11) and were quite enthralled by the sight of massed ice packs below the flight path ... the route takes the aircraft quite a ways south .....

[compressor stall]

Ignoring deviations for area winds with which I am not familiar, then the maximum southerly latitude of the GC route between SYD and JNB is 50deg 43 mins. This occurs at long 95deg.

The Antarctic coastline through here (Australian dependency) has the edge of the continent proper is about 66S. If that was in the north, then it would be half way down norway!

That still puts you almost 1000 miles from the edge of the landmass.

Jetstreams might force you a bit closer, but not for too long I would think.

CS

[BEagle]

Perth to Buenos Aires would take you pretty close to the South Pole. Definitely not 180 min ETOPS compliant though - and around 6810 nm great circle distance.

But if Sir would like to buy an A340-600...??

[samusi01]

Thanks a lot for the information, gentlemen. The question was asked in light of the FAA's proposed changes to ETOPS. We were looking for routes that we could use for an example to demonstrate the changes. This will help a lot - thanks!

[Seat1APlease]

There are several other reasons for avoiding polar routes.

The radiation levels are much higher, whilst not a problem on a one off basis you wouldn't want to spend a whole career at high latitudes.

GPS/inertial has solved most of the nav problems but your compasses and magnetic tracks are going to be all over the place making monitoring more difficult.

Some aircraft nav kits are only certificated up to a specific latitude. I presume the manufacturer will sell you an upgrade for a price but I assume more testing and extra cost is involved.