Pilot makes 'historic' night landing in Antarctica
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Sydney
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pilot makes 'historic' night landing in Antarctica
September 13, 2008 - 6:42PM
Source: ABC
A pilot has successfully landed an aircraft in Antarctica using night-vision goggles, a feat hailed as historic and one which could lead to year-round flights to the frozen continent.
The pilot of the US Air Force Globemaster flew from Christchurch in New Zealand to the US Antarctica base at McMurdo Sound overnight Thursday in the first such mission described as risky.
The pioneering flight opens up the possibility of safe landings during the long, dark, polar winter when the sun disappears for months.
Scientists could be dropped off or picked up at any time of the year if such flights went ahead and medical evacuations could become feasible in winter.
Lieutenant Colonel Jim McGann, the commander of the New Zealand-based Operation Deep Freeze, described the mission as "dangerous stuff".
He said the risk was high, but the aircraft's lights reflected well off traffic cones on the runway, allowing it to get down without electric runway lights that are hard to maintain in the intense cold.
"The goggles were fantastic, the outline and runway were perfectly clear and we could see it from three miles and rolled right in. A picture perfect landing," he told Television New Zealand.
Antarctica New Zealand chief executive Lou Sanson said the night-time touchdown opened the way for a greater level of research throughout the year as well as ensuring winter medical evacuations could be carried out.
"This was an historic event. It will certainly bring a measure of reassurance to those at McMurdo and [New Zealand's] Scott Base over the winter," he said.
Bryan Storey, a professor of Antarctic Studies at Canterbury University, told The Press newspaper that the middle of winter and early spring could now be studied by scientists specially flown in at those times.
The behaviour of sea ice and atmospheric phenomena could all fall into this category, he said.
"You can take people out and bring people in which allows for a better use of time and is definitely beneficial," he said.
will the RAAF be next???
Source: ABC
A pilot has successfully landed an aircraft in Antarctica using night-vision goggles, a feat hailed as historic and one which could lead to year-round flights to the frozen continent.
The pilot of the US Air Force Globemaster flew from Christchurch in New Zealand to the US Antarctica base at McMurdo Sound overnight Thursday in the first such mission described as risky.
The pioneering flight opens up the possibility of safe landings during the long, dark, polar winter when the sun disappears for months.
Scientists could be dropped off or picked up at any time of the year if such flights went ahead and medical evacuations could become feasible in winter.
Lieutenant Colonel Jim McGann, the commander of the New Zealand-based Operation Deep Freeze, described the mission as "dangerous stuff".
He said the risk was high, but the aircraft's lights reflected well off traffic cones on the runway, allowing it to get down without electric runway lights that are hard to maintain in the intense cold.
"The goggles were fantastic, the outline and runway were perfectly clear and we could see it from three miles and rolled right in. A picture perfect landing," he told Television New Zealand.
Antarctica New Zealand chief executive Lou Sanson said the night-time touchdown opened the way for a greater level of research throughout the year as well as ensuring winter medical evacuations could be carried out.
"This was an historic event. It will certainly bring a measure of reassurance to those at McMurdo and [New Zealand's] Scott Base over the winter," he said.
Bryan Storey, a professor of Antarctic Studies at Canterbury University, told The Press newspaper that the middle of winter and early spring could now be studied by scientists specially flown in at those times.
The behaviour of sea ice and atmospheric phenomena could all fall into this category, he said.
"You can take people out and bring people in which allows for a better use of time and is definitely beneficial," he said.
will the RAAF be next???
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Sale, Australia
Age: 80
Posts: 3,832
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The RAAF back up plan as told by the first guy to take a 130 to the ice was to use radar to pick up 44 drums on the edge of the runway. Well practised prior to going but not needed in anger.
How about credit where credit is due.
If you knew what was behind some of the US Antarctic Flight Programs, you would realise some extent of all the planning and risk mitigation in place.
There are impressive pictures from the night. In one of them it looked like it was snowing lightly as well.
Well done guys.
If you knew what was behind some of the US Antarctic Flight Programs, you would realise some extent of all the planning and risk mitigation in place.
There are impressive pictures from the night. In one of them it looked like it was snowing lightly as well.
Well done guys.
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Stuck in the middle...
Posts: 1,638
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
If an aircraft has a major incident, it will be a massive effort to clear it up!
True, but that would be the case irrespective of if an a/c 'went in' in good conditions or bad. Properly 'risk managed', why not run ops during inclement weather or the Antarctic winter?
will the RAAF be next???
A better question might be, 'will night ops to Casey be next'
The logistics of keeping YWKS ready and serviceable during the winter are slightly more difficult than NZIR though....
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Tallong NSW
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
But it wasn't dark
I dunno anything about piloting, I'm only here because the family talk about their airline inolvements so much I decided to try and understand the anger and passion a bit better, but I do know my astronomy.
The story didn't seem right. I looked up the ephemerides for McMurdo on September 12 because I thought there was no longer real darkness there.
The tables show the moon was at least nine tenths full and getting fuller and above the horizon all day and night.
The actual sunrise and sunset times in NZST were 0752 up and 1749 down.
Civil twilight began at 0613 and persisted after sunset to 1929.
Nautical twilight began at 0408 and persisted until 2137 that night.
Astronomical twilight (some visible light) lasted between the end of nautical twilight and its return next monring.
And the moon shone brightly all the while.
Seems to me a very odd choice of timing if they were after true darkness, as there wasn't any.
I did some time at Scott Base which is near McMurdo way back as a young chippy before moving back to Australia. There are times in summer when really dense fog and snow might make you wish you could see in the dark, if there was anything in it you might want to see, like a hut or a tractor.
But true darkness at high latitudes is elusive. Even in mid winter the moon will spend days continuously above the horizon, and at 78 degrees south there are very long periods of twilight before the sun returns and after it goes.
At this moment the sun is just above the horizon around 200 miles from the south pole for half the day. At the south pole it is just below it all day and the tip will appear above the horizon brigning 24 hours 'real' daylight this Sunday or shortly afterwards.
If these guys were serious about proving up true polar dark flight conditions they would have done this in June or July, and in the weeks when there was no moon.
The story didn't seem right. I looked up the ephemerides for McMurdo on September 12 because I thought there was no longer real darkness there.
The tables show the moon was at least nine tenths full and getting fuller and above the horizon all day and night.
The actual sunrise and sunset times in NZST were 0752 up and 1749 down.
Civil twilight began at 0613 and persisted after sunset to 1929.
Nautical twilight began at 0408 and persisted until 2137 that night.
Astronomical twilight (some visible light) lasted between the end of nautical twilight and its return next monring.
And the moon shone brightly all the while.
Seems to me a very odd choice of timing if they were after true darkness, as there wasn't any.
I did some time at Scott Base which is near McMurdo way back as a young chippy before moving back to Australia. There are times in summer when really dense fog and snow might make you wish you could see in the dark, if there was anything in it you might want to see, like a hut or a tractor.
But true darkness at high latitudes is elusive. Even in mid winter the moon will spend days continuously above the horizon, and at 78 degrees south there are very long periods of twilight before the sun returns and after it goes.
At this moment the sun is just above the horizon around 200 miles from the south pole for half the day. At the south pole it is just below it all day and the tip will appear above the horizon brigning 24 hours 'real' daylight this Sunday or shortly afterwards.
If these guys were serious about proving up true polar dark flight conditions they would have done this in June or July, and in the weeks when there was no moon.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Qld,Aust
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Denapol,
Not sure if that is what they were trying to achieve. Sounds more likely that they were trying to prove a capability, and when it comes to doing things like that, baby steps are needed. Sounds like a sucess to me. Though dont think that we will be doing that any time soon.
Yakka
Not sure if that is what they were trying to achieve. Sounds more likely that they were trying to prove a capability, and when it comes to doing things like that, baby steps are needed. Sounds like a sucess to me. Though dont think that we will be doing that any time soon.
Yakka
I've got 39 fantastic images from the flight on Friday night in question on my computer here. There is absolutely no doubt that they are what the average person would call night.
Some images are time lapse and have 20 flashes of the rotating beacon. The sky is still black - possibly enhanced by cloud cover.
It the achievement is little different to that if it was in a July night - but with different consequences for rescue (mechanical or otherwise).
Some images are time lapse and have 20 flashes of the rotating beacon. The sky is still black - possibly enhanced by cloud cover.
It the achievement is little different to that if it was in a July night - but with different consequences for rescue (mechanical or otherwise).
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Tallong NSW
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've still curious about this flying. Maybe there is more detail to come which will fill in the gaps in the story. The desirability of year round access is obvious if it can be done safely. I would have thought that parts of Siberia and Alaska and Spitzbergen where winter temperatures and flying conditions are at least as severe in parts as Antarctica would have sorted out the issues. Wouldn't modern GPS navigation work adequately, especially as their were then and must now be more modern navigational aides at McMurdo?
The "dangerous stuff" comment seems rather melodramatic. Goggles, lit reflective cones, they could see the runway well - not a huge challenge by the sounds of it.
I am not sure if they are intended for public circulation. I will find out and post them if I can.
In the mean time, try this UPDATE to: VIDEO: Airmen land in HUGE airplane in Antarctica - iReport.com
In the mean time, try this UPDATE to: VIDEO: Airmen land in HUGE airplane in Antarctica - iReport.com
