A rare, risky mission is underway to rescue sick scientists from the South Pole

a reply to: Zaphod58

Well thank you Zaph for chiming in with your expertise. You saying you been to Antarctica? Did you read the article linked? would love your thoughts on the flight, I dont know if you are a pilot or just an expert in everything aviation. Its hard to imagine flying a bush type plane across total darkness over a deserted continent. 10 12 hour flight/

What are your thoughts on refueling, They can break free, so they will freeze to the ground?

What about lighting barrels of jet fuel on fire to light the runway? perfectly safe? lol...


Seriously I appreciate you for throwing your expertise in, Do you agree passenger jets flying over the ocean at altitude have the same concerns as flights to Antarctica as far as temp?

a reply to: tinner07

I haven't been there myself but we used to get 6-8 LC-130s through as crews would rotate through flying the summer resupply missions from New Zealand. Each crew would spend a month or month and a half down there flying supplies and people in and out, then new aircraft and crews would rotate down.

The biggest dangers are fluids reaching the gel point, and seals freezing. As long as they aren't on the ground long they can refuel and break loose and get airborne again.

Aircraft at cruising altitude have their own issues to deal with, all of which fall far short of landing in Antarctica in winter. Any pilot that is willing to do that has to clang when he walks.

a reply to: Zaphod58

What are your thoughts on a helicopter making that flight? Short of Airwolf I am guessing no way.

a reply to: tinner07

Only from a ship that's close.

a reply to: Vector99

I'm sorry, but you have absolutely no idea what your talking about. You may have had the chance to go to Antarctica, but you didn't, so you have no idea what it takes to get a person out of the South Pole. I am currently stationed in McMurdo, Antarctica, and I have a good friend working in the South Pole. He is trying to get the sky way ready for a Twin Otter, which is the only airplane that can land there in the current temperatures they are experiencing. Temps range from -70 to -100 or more. Winds can get crazy in an instant. I have been in some really crazy weather, so bad you can't see nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing but white from the wind blowing snow around. I could go on and on about your lack of knowledge, but one thing is for certain, it's a very dangerous mission, for the people preparing on the ground, and especially for the pilots.

Pladuim

a reply to: Vector99

LOL, I'm in Antarctica, and there is no way a helicopter can make it, not only because of the weather, but they could never carry enough fuel.

a reply to: The Arbiter of Lies

It's nothing like that I can assure you, but it is an emergency medical condition. Ya never know when a heart attack could sneak up on you, or something along those lines.

Pladuim

a reply to: The Arbiter of Lies

It's nothing like that I can assure you, but it is an emergency medical condition. Ya never know when a heart attack could sneak up on you, or something along those lines.

Pladuim

a reply to: Pladuim

Man thats badd ass you're at McMurdo. What is it you do there? how long you been there?

I so wanted to go to the South pole.

a reply to: Vector99

Please stop now before I prove your ignorance on this matter.

Pladuim

a reply to: Aliensun

Wrong again.

a reply to: Vector99

As aliensun said, it's more complicated to fly a commercial jetliner at altitude than to conduct a rescue mission in the arctic regions. Helicopters definitely have the range, and are not flying into flash-freeze temps. They would be a much more ideal method to launch from a ship than a plane.

Ok lets just say a jet airliner is flying altitude equivalent to to temps found in Antarctica. If something were to freeze up they could descend to warmer air yes?

Not an option flying over the continent of Antarctica.

You do realize Antarctica is a continent? the largest and the highest?

a reply to: tinner07

The big difference is that they're flying through those temperatures. A jet engine operating at flight power levels is going to provide enough heat to keep things warm and fluids flowing.

An aircraft landing in those temperatures is sitting still with the engine at ground idle so it's not putting out nearly the same heat levels, and fluids are flowing much slower, which means the cold is much more dangerous to them.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I don;t think the otter has jet engines, but they will have to refuel yes? I know you said they can break free from the ice under engine power. How long you think they can sit on the ice?

Other question, in my OP i linked flightaware, yet I see no change in the flight status. Does it quit working down there? can you update us on the rescue status?

I'm sure Pladuiam could, but when I was going to go, sat coverage was rare...

a reply to: tinner07

The Twin Otter uses the PT6 turboprop engine. A turboprop is essentially a turbojet, but instead of the exhaust providing thrust to move the aircraft, it drives a shaft that turns the propeller and the propeller provides the thrust.

Generally, from what I understand, they have a maximum of about 30 minutes on the ground, but that's dependent on temperature when they land.

Flight tracking sites rely on people with ADS-B receivers relaying transponder information to work. No receivers, no tracking. It's a five day trip to get there, and the earliest they were planning on making the first attempt was tomorrow I think. They're in place to jump off now, and will probably try early tomorrow if the weather holds off.

a reply to: tinner07

I work down here as a Heavy Equipment Operator, work on the ice runway, ice pier, drill holes in the sea ice for scientists, possibly this year I will do a traverse to the South Pole to resupply fuel. It takes around 30 days to drive a tractor down there dragging huge fuel bladders. Being a HEO, one gets to do all kinds of things here on station. The airfield is 14 miles away from McMurdo, and I've been caught out in a storm while trying to make my way back to McMurdo. We mark the way with red flags every 25 feet. It gets so bad you can loose sight of the flag line and end up getting lost. The best thing to do is just sit there and wait it out. I am also part of a SAR team, and we are trained to help get those that are out in a storm back to McMurdo. Right now it's 24 hrs of darkness, and it's not easy to get used to that. This will be my second tour, and will be here until Feb 2017.

a reply to: Pladuim

You are so damned lucky. I've read EVERYTHING on polar exploration, North and South. You are smack dab where Amundsen won it and Scott lost it.

I researched trips there, but they were a bit out of my price range.

Question - Is there still that cairn where Scott, Wilson, and Bowers were interred, or have they properly buried the bodies?

a reply to: 123143

As far as I know, their bodies are still out there in the middle of Antarctica somewhere. There is also a dude that feel through the sea ice in a bulldozer a few years back that is still sitting in the dozer at the bottom of the sea. They were going to send divers down to get him, but his family said to leave him there, didn't want anyone to risk their lives to get him out. So there he still sits.

I've had the opportunity to visit Scott's Hut. It takes about 2 hours to get out to Scott's Hut from here. I went as a guide, just in case the vehicle broke down or got stuck up in the snow. You actually have to drive on the 5-8 foot sea ice to get out there. Fun Fun! I also go out that way to drop off Fish Huts for the scientists to stay in while observing seals, penguins, etc. So if you know the story, the things in Scott's Hut are still sitting in their original position from over 100 years ago. It is really amazing to get the chance to walk back in time visiting this place.

www.google.com... INQ

a reply to: Pladuim

I wish the Navy had done the same and left that damn LC-130 buried down there. I forget how long ago that was and it still drives me up the wall remembering that damn thing.

a reply to: Pladuim

Hey, thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.

I have read about Scott's hut over the years. It's nice that the history is being respected.