Rescue Mission Antarctic
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Rescue Mission Antarctic
CALGARY - A pilot who has flown hundreds of hours in the Antarctic says the rescue mission now being attempted has never been done before.
Four Calgary pilots are on their way to the south pole to try to rescue an American
doctor who is suffering from pancreatitis.
No one has ever flown into the South Pole Research Station so late in the season and
Bob Heath says it doesn't get any harder than
this. "There are very little landing facilities, extreme cold, darkness," he says.
It was -62 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and the sun set for winter six weeks ago. Heath,
who is with Kenn Borek Air – the same
company making the rescue mission, has flown the same Antarctic route as the southbound pilots hundreds of times. They are heading for the British research station at
Rothera. From there, it's a 10-hour flight to reach the doctor. "They'll have an hour's fuel remaining when they get into South Pole Station," says Heath. "The nearest alternate to South Pole Station this time of year is about five hours away." Heath says the pilots will have about two hours to refuel, evacuate the doctor and get out. Despite the odds, he's confident the pilots will make it.
"I would say, given their operating experience and their experience on the aircraft, that they have a very good chance," he says. Heath says with winter settling into the south pole, flying will soon become too dangerous.
CBC on-line.
Four brave guys in two Twin Otters. Best of luck, hope you don't need it.
Four Calgary pilots are on their way to the south pole to try to rescue an American
doctor who is suffering from pancreatitis.
No one has ever flown into the South Pole Research Station so late in the season and
Bob Heath says it doesn't get any harder than
this. "There are very little landing facilities, extreme cold, darkness," he says.
It was -62 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and the sun set for winter six weeks ago. Heath,
who is with Kenn Borek Air – the same
company making the rescue mission, has flown the same Antarctic route as the southbound pilots hundreds of times. They are heading for the British research station at
Rothera. From there, it's a 10-hour flight to reach the doctor. "They'll have an hour's fuel remaining when they get into South Pole Station," says Heath. "The nearest alternate to South Pole Station this time of year is about five hours away." Heath says the pilots will have about two hours to refuel, evacuate the doctor and get out. Despite the odds, he's confident the pilots will make it.
"I would say, given their operating experience and their experience on the aircraft, that they have a very good chance," he says. Heath says with winter settling into the south pole, flying will soon become too dangerous.
CBC on-line.
Four brave guys in two Twin Otters. Best of luck, hope you don't need it.
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Sean Loutitt and Mark Carey in one a/c,
Tony Szekely and Matt Gacek in the other.
Two mechs also along with them.
Currently in Puntas Arenas waiting on the weather. Need a 10 hour window before heading off over Drake Passage. This was supposed to be an USAF Herc job initially. Cancelled for some reason and Kenn Borek called in.
Tony Szekely and Matt Gacek in the other.
Two mechs also along with them.
Currently in Puntas Arenas waiting on the weather. Need a 10 hour window before heading off over Drake Passage. This was supposed to be an USAF Herc job initially. Cancelled for some reason and Kenn Borek called in.
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I am sure I have met those guys when they ferrying twotters from Canda to the Maldives and back via Glasgow, I refuelled there aeroplanes think they were owned by Kenn Boerk Air and leased out and were being overhauled in Canada.
Good Guys!
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Better to be up there wishing you were down here than be down here wishing you were up there!
Good Guys!
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Better to be up there wishing you were down here than be down here wishing you were up there!
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The three LC130 Hercules that were originally intended to perform the rescue can not operate at temperatures below -55c
The current temperature at the pole is in the minus 60s, hence why the plan was changed to use the Canadian Otters, which can operate up to -75c.
The current temperature at the pole is in the minus 60s, hence why the plan was changed to use the Canadian Otters, which can operate up to -75c.
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SANTIAGO, Chile (CP) - Canadian flight crews arrived safely in Antarctica on Saturday, completing the first stage of a daring rescue mission to evacuate an ailing American doctor from the icy bottom of the world. Flying into high winds and near-total darkness, two Twin Otter aircraft operated by Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air Ltd. left Punta Arenas, Chile's southernmost city, at 6:30 a.m. ET.
Steve Penikett, general manager of the company, which specializes in cold-weather aviation, said from Calgary the planes flew six hours, 40 minutes across the Drake Passage and landed at the British Rothera base on Adelaide Island where it was -26 C.The team will stay there about 24 hours and then, weather permitting, one of the Twin Otters will fly across the barren, ice-covered continent to the windswept station at the South Pole to evacuate the doctor while the other plane remains as a backup.
Steve Penikett, general manager of the company, which specializes in cold-weather aviation, said from Calgary the planes flew six hours, 40 minutes across the Drake Passage and landed at the British Rothera base on Adelaide Island where it was -26 C.The team will stay there about 24 hours and then, weather permitting, one of the Twin Otters will fly across the barren, ice-covered continent to the windswept station at the South Pole to evacuate the doctor while the other plane remains as a backup.
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Plane Arrives for South Pole Doctor
My hat is of to the pilots of this rescue mission. The South Pole in winter. That takes courage.
My hat is of to the pilots of this rescue mission. The South Pole in winter. That takes courage.
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Highly confusing. UK news sources last evening showed how the New Zealand Air Force single-handedly carried out rescue mission with a Herc, from NZ to McMurdo, but no mention of the Otters.
Looks like there are two missions going on.
[This message has been edited by newswatcher (edited 25 April 2001).]
Looks like there are two missions going on.
[This message has been edited by newswatcher (edited 25 April 2001).]
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From Defpotec's link to the news wire story on the South Pole rescue mission:
"Eight-seat, small, propeller plane".
They completely forgot to mention the pilots were sitting in an open cockpit, wearing leather helmets, in constant spiritual communication with Charles A. Lindbergh as they bored on through the polar night.
On the Canadian TV news last night, viewers were treated to shots of a C-130 taxying in to, presumably, McMurdo in the dark as the announcer babbled on about the Twin Otter reaching the South Pole.
When will the news media stop peddling tripe on aviation-related stories?
Rockhound
"Eight-seat, small, propeller plane".
They completely forgot to mention the pilots were sitting in an open cockpit, wearing leather helmets, in constant spiritual communication with Charles A. Lindbergh as they bored on through the polar night.
On the Canadian TV news last night, viewers were treated to shots of a C-130 taxying in to, presumably, McMurdo in the dark as the announcer babbled on about the Twin Otter reaching the South Pole.
When will the news media stop peddling tripe on aviation-related stories?
Rockhound
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Pretty good AP newwire story out this am in states. Appears at the time of story they were still RON at the pole and would fly out today, may already be on the way. Appears they got a wx window for "only" -78 F and 11kts wind, high overcast.
Love that media...the only thing they missed was being guided to the Pole by flying saucers.
Love that media...the only thing they missed was being guided to the Pole by flying saucers.
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Ratboy,
You obviously didn't read the newspapers; it seems they were guided to the pole by two reindeer with red lights on their noses
Go for it guys - you've obviously got large ones, but not made of brass
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What goes around . . .
. . often lands better!
You obviously didn't read the newspapers; it seems they were guided to the pole by two reindeer with red lights on their noses
Go for it guys - you've obviously got large ones, but not made of brass
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What goes around . . .
. . often lands better!
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ExSimGuy - Now that's what I call Gross Error Navigation - RAA (Reindeer Assisted Approach) only available at the NORTH pole - and Antarctica just happens to be at the other end of the world! 
But gotta say, this adds new meaning to comment "Cool!" doesn't it?
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Feline
(I Sit, I Watch, I Smile)
But gotta say, this adds new meaning to comment "Cool!" doesn't it?
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Feline
(I Sit, I Watch, I Smile)
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Newswatcher, over here we didn't know the Kiwis were running a rescue mission, so that makes us even.
Rockhound, Sean Loutitt's daddy is named Lindberg, I believe. No kiddin'.
Skybiter, shouldn't that be Moosehead, the Thunderchicken and Beaver? (Molson's gives me the trots)
[This message has been edited by pigboat (edited 26 April 2001).]
Rockhound, Sean Loutitt's daddy is named Lindberg, I believe. No kiddin'.
Skybiter, shouldn't that be Moosehead, the Thunderchicken and Beaver? (Molson's gives me the trots)
[This message has been edited by pigboat (edited 26 April 2001).]
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Morning news today was interview with National Science Foundation head of polar programs and they made it to Rothera and were getting ready to go to Chile for a comemrcial flight back to CONUS.
First time I was in atwin Ottor was from LAX to Palmdale to Mohave to IYK. Never got over 3,oo ft and half the pax and the copilot lost their lunches. It was July and 110 in the shade and their was no shade. What an A/C.
First time I was in atwin Ottor was from LAX to Palmdale to Mohave to IYK. Never got over 3,oo ft and half the pax and the copilot lost their lunches. It was July and 110 in the shade and their was no shade. What an A/C.
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Rockhound:
"When will the news media stop peddling tripe on aviation-related stories?
It happens with every field of activity that takes more than two days to master. I don't think aviation has any sort of special arrangement with the Journalistic Tripe Factory, I really don't. In the meantime I can't help but feel that a slightly better understanding of the journalist's job wouldn't go amiss round these parts. Dull, worthy, accurate stories don't make it past the sub-editor.
If you've ever bought anything more sensational than, say, the Financial Times or the Herald Tribune, you're part of the problem too.
I am not a pilot; I am not a journalist; now I'll get back to my allotted place down the back with the other SLF. Thankyou for letting me eavesdrop on your conversations - it's fascinating (most of the time).
"When will the news media stop peddling tripe on aviation-related stories?
It happens with every field of activity that takes more than two days to master. I don't think aviation has any sort of special arrangement with the Journalistic Tripe Factory, I really don't. In the meantime I can't help but feel that a slightly better understanding of the journalist's job wouldn't go amiss round these parts. Dull, worthy, accurate stories don't make it past the sub-editor.
If you've ever bought anything more sensational than, say, the Financial Times or the Herald Tribune, you're part of the problem too.
I am not a pilot; I am not a journalist; now I'll get back to my allotted place down the back with the other SLF. Thankyou for letting me eavesdrop on your conversations - it's fascinating (most of the time).