Bookmark and Share Default font size Increase font size Decrease font size
HomeFeaturesFlight Following
United States Antarctic Program U.S. Antarctic Program - Features Section
 

Plane pulls up near structures.  

Flight following

South Pole welcomes first aircraft since February

The loneliness of the long-distance winter at South Pole Station External U.S. government site is over. The first flights to the U.S. Antarctic Program's External U.S. government site most remote station since mid-February arrived on Oct. 19. Basler and Twin Otter aircraft, operated by Kenn Borek Air External Non-U.S. government site in Canada, passed through the South Pole en route to McMurdo Station External U.S. government site. It's a journey the support aircraft make every year, usually with a brief layover at South Pole Station to refuel and maybe drop off a few fresh vegetables and fruit for the 50 winter-over crewmembers, who rely on a small hydroponic greenhouse for freshies during the long, dark months. The first official relief flight by the New York Air National Guard's ski-equipped LC-130 External U.S. government site is scheduled to land at the South Pole on Oct. 26.

Basler comes in for landing
Basler lands at Pole.
People fuel plane.
Fueling the Basler.
People look upward.
Watching the planes.
People fuel plane.
Fueling Twin Otter.
Plane on ice.
Twin Otter at fuel tank.
Pilots in a plane.
Close-up of Twin Otter.

Site Curator: Peter Rejcek | NSF Official: Winifred Reuning, OPP | Last Updated:  Thursday - 5/9/2013
United States Antarctic Program Logo National Science Foundation Logo