Several days ago I wrote about what might just be one of the coolest flights ever. I wanted to post an update about this flight, given that the plane has now completed this journey, and there’s even a video of the plane both landing and taking off from Antarctica, with views from the ground and…
Continue reading: AWESOME: Icelandair’s Antarctica Flight
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Are their special skills required to land on an ice runway? Or is it so cold that the ice is no longer super-slippery and functions nearly the same as a conventional asphalt or concrete runway?
They really couldn’t find any operator in Africa for this? The emissions of a 767 flying to CPT for nothing...
In 2016, a SAS 737 (Privatair) flew to Troll research station in Antarctica too.
https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/687197137772408832?s=21
@Abey: that's the first thing that crossed your mind upon reading this? Seriously?
And, do tell, what African airline has the equipment and experience to land on an ice runway while saving the globe? Hint: probably none of them.
@stogieguy7 - FYI there have been a number of operations to the ice runways in Antartica by African operators over the years. The 727 in particular was a favourite for these missions. Some colleagues of mine did this trip multiple times.
Knowing the guys at Icelandair though, I can't imagine they would ever pass a trip like this up if given a chance. I can probably even guess a few of the pilots who volunteered for the mission. They have some incredible (and crazy) aviators there.
You need to check out the company White Desert. VERY high on my bucketlist. No points options, unfortunately 😉
They do troll research at the station? Internet trolls or the under-the-bridge type?
Not sure why you continually refer to a "blue-ice runway". I have flown into McMurdo and landed on the runway made from sea ice there. There was no part of it that was blue. It's all pretty white everywhere you look. Did you have a meaning for "blue-ice"?
@Glenn - Here are some references for you.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_ice_runway
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_Airfield
"Blue ice" - what used to fall out of the lavs in commercial airliners before they were required to just store the toilet effluent until landing and pump it out on the ground. I guess people complained when a big chunk of blue ice came crashing their the roof...can't imagine why.
Well, SAA may as well have done the flight, they seem to be willing to fly an empty a340-600 today all the way from Joburg to Brussels and back to fetch 100kgs of vaccine, they could just have well wasted some more money by flying on to Antarctica with at least a few fare paying passengers.
"The plane is first operating to Cape Town to pick up Norwegian scientists"
The plane will not pickup anyone in Cape Town. It will bring back scientists from Antarctica to Norway. This is the last flight before the summer season ends.
Antarctica has reported zero Covid infections. The penguins in charge are what real leadership looks like.
Hint: South African Airways is an African carrier with lots of experience flying over Antarctica, SAA pilots are trained for it. Might want to research your information before to stop practicing civility.
Many people don't know but only scientists can go to Antarctica to conduct research. Antarctica is not a tourist place, so if you are not a scientist authorized to go to work there, then you will not able to travel to the territory.
Uh Pan Am went there back in the 50s: https://www.panam.org/images/Stories/Pan-Am-Way-Down-South.pdf
@Peter oh my White Desert looks amazing. Yup that is definitely going at or near the top of my bucket list now.
Uh, Air New Zealand Flight 901 also landed in Antarctica in 1979, but it was a one-way flight.
Ana Cardoso
Tourists absolutly can visit Antarctica.
Here is just one company that offers cruises and tours which include stepping onto the continent and staying there
Icelandair take my Frequent Flier miles! You take then NOW !!!
(Hey AmEx... About those 1,000,000 membership rewards points... I got an idea... )
I did this 6 years ago. Fly from Chile to the Chilean research station and then board a small expedition ship. Flights are weather dependent so you take a gamble your trip isn't shortened due to weather. Saves 2 days each way across the Drake Passage.
https://www.antarctica21.com/our-expeditions/classic-antarctica-air-cruise/
As someone who had a project at McMurdo, I can tell you a little about what is going on there. Some of my guys were caught down there last year when Covid started. They made everyone evac and no science is occurring due to the fear that Covid would break out down there and they are not medically equipped to handle that. So far they have been successful, but it does put everything on hold.
Almost everyone who travels as a tourist to Antarctica travels to the peninsula opposite South America. McMurdo Station is almost due south of New Zealand. You CAN go there as a tourist, but you have to provide your own transportation and they do not have to support you. Mostly just people who helicopter in from their yacht.
Thanks for those who explained "blue ice". That is definitely not the term we use at McMurdo where we say we land on a sea ice runway (very smooth landing - it's great) and very rarely construct ice roads since those would not melt away and might alter the ecology. Every year one of the big activities is blazing a trail to the South Pole Station with a caravan of specially equipped vehicles which takes over a month.
There is a slight risk of a mechanical in Antarctica. If that happened, there would be no spare parts there to use.
They've finally lived up to their name - icelandair finally operating a flight to the mighty ice land