Antarctic Flight

[Islander Jock]

Any chance of it being just a one way ticket? :E


Garrett on board historic Antarctic flight

By Paul Mulvey
January 10, 2008 04:23pm
Article from: AAP

FEDERAL Environment Minister Peter Garrett will join scientists on the historic first passenger flight between Australia and Antarctica, due to leave Hobart tonight.

The 3400km flight to the newly-built Wilkins blue ice runway will carry 19 passengers, including seven scientists who will be the first to make use of the shuttle service which will radically improve Australia's research capabilities on the southern ice cap.

"This is a fabulous moment for me,'' Dr Tony Press, director of the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), said.

"We're all very excited.''

The air link finally bridges the gap between Australia and Antarctica, eliminating the need for scientists to spend up to two weeks on a ship trawling through the Southern Ocean to get to Casey Station.

The four kilometre-long runway, carved into 500m thick ice, is 65km from Casey where most of the scientists who use the shuttle will be based.

"it means we spend very much less down-time sitting on a ship getting down there,'' AAD chief scientist Michael Stoddart said.

"So we can attract scientists who cannot afford that down-time. Senior scientists will have an opportunity they never had before.

"It will increase the quantity of our research and the quality.''

The first of six successful test flights carrying AAD personnel on the twin-engine A319 Airbus flew last month.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) finally gave the AAD the go ahead on Tuesday to take passengers after its safety concerns were allayed.

CASA needed assurance the plane has sufficient fuel capacity to make the return journey or turn back mid-flight, and is able to complete the trip if one engine fails.

The runway was carved into the ice 20km from the coast by a team of eight AAD staff over the last two summers.

The four hour flights will carry scientists and other personnel working at Australia's Antarctic stations and the runway will not be opened up for tourist flights.

[Stationair8]

Best of luck for the crew of the A319.
Bit of luck they should be able leave the aging rocker on the ice shelf so that he can learn about global warming.
Looks like CASA (Chaps against Sensible Aviation)delayed the initial flights, I saw Mr Gibson on TV flapping his gums about unresolved safety issues delaying the first flight.

[Spaz Modic]

:sad: Rumour has it QF is moving its engineering base to Heard Is. :E

[Moniker]

How quaint, a rock star on ice! :}

[crocodile redundee]

At least there are no Pine forests down there so the Air'Bus should perform well!!!!!!

[Kwaj mate]

They operated down there in Dec, and it is possible they were there in late Nov as well. A minimum of three flights were scheduled for 2007.

[compressor stall]

The first landing (the test flight) was 09/12/2007.
http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5836153,00.jpg

[Stationair8]

vH-VHD departed HB for the Antartic approximately 11:30 utc

[Stationair8]

ABC website says that VH-VHD has made a landing at the Antartic base and has returned to YMHB.
Well done to the flight crew, a nice one to put in the logbook.

[LeadSled]

Folks,

I am surprised, to say the very least, that nobody has mentioned who pioneered this air route from Hobart to the Antarctic, with all its potential, in November 1988 ---- quite a while ago now, almost 20 years.

Gee!!!, We really move fast to grab opportunities in Australia, don't we !!

Tootle pip!!

[Stationair8]

The RAAF, with Hercules?
Tasmanian Airlines in the Herons?

[Bullethead]

I've got this in my RAAF logbook,

5Dec1981 C130H A97-012 NZCH-NZCM(McMurdo Sound) 7.3hrs

over 26 years ago and the squadron I belonged to had been doing Antarctic flights for some years prior to this one. The potential and capability has been there for quite some time.

Regards,
BH.

[LeadSled]

Stationair8,

Herons ??? Now, there's a thought, at least an option on the Heron was a drift sight between the F/O' knees --- as this was all before GPS or any form of inertial in small aircraft -- and no astrodome in a Heron.

No, it wasn't the RAAF, or any Australian airline, try again.

Tootle pip!!

[Stationair8]

I have to phone a friend before we lock it Eddie!
Back to exercising the grey matter.

[Chimbu chuckles]

Dick Smith in a Twotter?

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

A Rock Star(?) ON I C E ...........

ha ha ha.......ho ho ho......hee hee hee...........:yuk::yuk:

:ok::ok:

Shudda left 'it' there........... O.K., I know...can't pollute the icepack can we???

[compressor stall]

Top of the class Chimbu. Dick and the late Giles Kershaw were the first to fly from Hobart to Casey direct in a twotter in 17+ hours.

The first actual flight from Australia to Antarctica was a US Herc leaving Avalon in 1961. It had a reather adventurous time ending up nowhere where it was meant to due to a few issues. It finally made an emergency landing at Byrd. On board as pax were Australians Dr Philip Law (then head of ANARE) and David Burke, aviation author.

Getting Hercs (wheel or ski) to Casey is a different kettle of fish than McMurdo though. Geography and weather see to that. Casey is not the sort of place you like going to if you have a PNR.

[Capt Wally]

...................who really pioneered the air route from oz to the bottom of the globe?...........none of what's been mentioned here so far & yes 'Staionair8' Phone a friend b4 "Eddie i've been everywhere" goes to an add break!:}

...............and the answer is????...........some bloody migtrating bird was the first am sure, we humans only wandered way back then !:} I guess it's more of a 'what' than a who !:)

17 hrs in a Twotter with Dick ???.......sheeeeeeezzzzzzzzz I wonder how many xtal sets they assembled ready for sale on that flight !!!:}

Must be a stunning view down there at times from the air, white on white ! The mind boggles, brings back some awful memories actually !:bored:

CW:)

[AnQrKa]

anybody know the crew.

Are they full time / part time / contract.

Good job / pay sux / roster?

Interesting job.

[ACMS]

Hey..............is C.A. ( x KA ) the Chief Pilot?

tks

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

From news.com.au

"From the cockpit, the expanse of the continent took my breath away," Mr Garrett said.

How come he was allowed into the cockpit?

It's not fair!

[Defenestrator]

Great thread guys. Please keep the info coming. Sounds like a great job.

Tailwinds
D:ok:

[Dark Knight]

Approx 4.5 hours one way so:

What is the endurance of the A319 and what reserves and alternates is the flight predicated upon?

The ETOPS alternates are?

What ETOPS range is the flight allowed to operate to?

Is refuelling undertaken at the Antarctic base and if so where/how is the fuel delivered?

If fuelling is undertaken down there, the environmental implications of fuel spillage are serious and what preventative measures has `Gunboat Garbag’ Garrett ensured are undertaken?

Considering the fuel capabilities of the aircraft how far can the aircraft divert from the planned route for whale watching/hunter spotting duties?

And how much effective loiter time is available `on whale watchers’ station?

It is noted neither of the last two points have been addressed in the hype surrounding this supposed first flight.

DK

[peuce]

http://www.skytraders.com.au/news.html

[Yawn]

Seriously, how is the ETOPS issue addressed?

Is there a legal instrument? How does it work? What is the legal limitation?

Just curious.

[Rudder]

Yawn,

The ETOP (EDTO in Aus now) is covered in CAO 82.0 and Yes there is an instrument. There is also a polar operational approval required from the middle of the year although you would think these guys would walk that in given the experience and the fact they do it all the time.

From what I understand Skytraders are approved to conduct EDTO operations.

CASA also announced that the operational approvals were issued earlier in the week.

I know the CP quite well although haven't been able to catch up lately as he has been working on this but believe he did the first landing on Wilkins in December and he was in left seat of the aircraft on the report in the ABC news last night.


DK

I'm sure you can figure out the first few answers to your questions based on the fact that the trip is 4.5 hours on two engines and the aircraft operates between Hobart and Wilkins. It's widely reported that the aircraft can go down and back without refueling.


As for the your last few questions, I wouldn't hold your breath on anyone telling you what the capability is for those operations. They would have to shoot you after telling you!!


Well done to the Skytraders team though. :D:D

Just found this http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7180000/newsid_7183000/7183096.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&ms3=54&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2

It's a video on BBC without voiceover but has the A319 Landing and some of the C212 as well.

The Aus ABC website has a video report as well.

[satos]

file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/peter/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg The first landing (the test flight) was 09/12/2007.
http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5836153,00.jpg

Who is the owner of this aircraft.
On the tv news the engines look like cfm-5's not the v2500.

[Newforest]

I think the aircraft is owned by the Australian Government. Initially registered as D-AVYQ, it went to Air France as F-GYAS and finally VH-VHD. Cannot confirm the engine configeration.

[TheHoff]

I went through this A/C when it was being reconfigured at JHAS last year. It has CFM engines and has been modified to carry ULD style fuel tanks in the cargo bays. It's cabin is configured in 2 class with the front half in a business config and the rear in an economy config. I think they have upgraded the avionics on it to be similiar to the current A320 but the exact details i am not sure.

[LegallyBlonde]

"From the cockpit, the expanse of the continent took my breath away," Mr Garrett said.
Unfortunately, not permanently.:ugh:

[welcome_stranger]

Details for VH-VHD from the CASA database

The following aircraft matches your search criteria.

VH VHD

Power Driven Aeroplane with tricycle - retractable landing gear
2 Turbofan engines

Manufacturer: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
Model: A319-115
Serial number: 1999
Aircraft first registered in Australia: 16 February 2007

Full Registration
Registration holder as of 16 February 2007

CIT AEROSPACE INTERNATIONAL

3 George's Dock IFSC
DUBLIN
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Registered operator as of 16 February 2007

SKYTRADERS PTY LTD

Level 8 43 Bridge Street
HURSTVILLE NSW 2220
AUSTRALIA

Verry interesting, no? :hmm:

[tinpis]

What do they DO down there apart from grow beards?

[pill]

A guy I met went down there for 6 months and reckons the only usefull thing he figured out was how many seconds one has to boil a frozen (stored outside) can of beer for, to get the temp just right to drink. Money well spent. I wonder what the depress 1/3 the way home figures look like and if they carry lots of pax oxygen to stay at 15000-20000ft. Sounds like one of the more interesting jet jobs out there.