British Antarctic Survey
 

Hello, does anybody have any experience of flying for the British Antarctic Survey? It would seem like an amazing opportunity to do a very interesting job in a stunning, though highly challenging environment.

I found some information on their website and other sites, including some previous job adverts. From what I can work out, they normally recruit pilots around now, but they don't seem to be advertising for pilots at the moment.

I see they require pilots to have MCC and IR. However, I understand that the Twin Otter is operated as single crew and only the Dash 7 as multi crew. Or does the Twin Otter sometimes get flown with two pilots, perhaps on ferry flights? I see there are some instrument approach charts on the BAS website, but I assume there is a lot of VFR flying to more remote areas too. Do they do single crew IFR?

Also, what is the job/operation like in general?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

I believe I saw their advertisement pass by about a month ago, with interviews scheduled for this week if I remember correctly.

I've been intrigued by flying around Antarctica myself, but am nowhere near the command time they require nor am I Twotter rated.

Sorry, not much insight I'm afraid.

I would love the job but would never be in a position to go for it. I read an article by one of their Twotter skippers which said in Antarctica it was all single pilot, but they always had "somebody" flying with them to keep them company - a scientist or technician volunteer from Halley.

One of the SFIs at CAE with plenty of Twotter time said he went for the job a few years back - too much multi-crew time is a bit of a disadvantage apparently.

All second hand but hope it helps.

Hi All
BAS did recruit this year but application is now closed, interviews are happening this week. We require crews to have MCC so that there is the potential to be dual rated on the DHC-7. We do fly single pilot IFR on the positioning flights back to Canada.


All pilots welcome but its not easy to go from decades of highly automated Jet, Multi-crew turbo prop flying to non autopilot, single pilot IFR, with manual handling, fuelling, loading, and lots and lots of digging. Foods good though.....

It is where I got hooked on flying when I worked there as a mountain guide 26 years ago. All the flying was single pilot with one of the other base staff sent along to assist the pilot loading, fueling. Digging fuel out of the snow, and putting up the tent at night. None of the Twin Otters had an autopilot, and only one had a rather early GPS. Do expect to work hard. Do not expect to be treated with much deference. On your days off (from flying which might be because the weather is crap today when you had expected to fly) do expect to wash dishes or do some other chore around the base. Do expect to see the second most incredible place on Earth (the Arctic is better in my opinion). Do expect to come back a changed person.

Thanks for all the answers. So is it a case that the ferry flights down to Antartica are IFR and the flights within Antartica are VFR? I see on the BAS website that there is a basic NDB/DME approach for Rothera.

Yup that's correct, the procedures in Antarctica are not approved for use in IMC due to not being flight checked, as no one can send a calibration aircraft down to do it.

I presume the maintenance is done in Canada now. The TWotters were often to be seen at Fairoaks in England whilst on one occasion, the Dash 7, being presumably too big for Fairoaks, was parked at Farnborough for several weeks.

I know this is an old thread but figured I'd bump it anyways.

Does the BAS every hire Americans?

They haven't, but have hired a Canadian in the past. You need an EASA Licence though, but in theory a Falklands Validation can be provided for EASA, TC or FAA Licences.

Bummer, I may keep an eye open for a job posting anyway. Worst they could do is tell me no.

https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/vacancy/l...1Ua8#jobskills

You've got to the 7th April.