“Aside from flying in a fight atmosphere, night-flying missions to Antarctica in the midst of winter current essentially the most difficult and harmful of circumstances,” Scott stated.
Scott stated the crew deployed early this morning with a slender hole of acceptable climate.
“The climate had deteriorated once more on arrival and they also have threaded the needle to get in after they did.”
The plane was “sizzling fuelled” on the ice after it landed, the place the engines are stored working to guard them in excessive chilly. The temperature in Antarctica was -33C on the time, with a wind chill bringing temperatures all the way down to -40C.
Scott stated at every stage of the journey the crew needed to make “go, no go” selections on whether or not to proceed.
“Our extremely skilled crew analyse the circumstances each step of the best way to make sure they will proceed. Final night time the climate circumstances regarded appropriate, which enabled them to proceed within the early hours of this morning.”
McMurdo Station employees had ready the ice runway at Phoenix Airfield by clearing snow and compacting it on Wednesday.
With no airfields to divert to en route, the plane wanted to be refuelled in Antarctica earlier than making the journey house.
“The pilots have a degree of no protected return after they make the choice to proceed or flip round, often called a ‘boomerang’,” Scott stated.
The crew left Antarctica shortly after 10am for the seven-to-eight-hour return flight to Christchurch. The affected person is in a secure situation with a non-life-threatening situation.
“We’re more than happy we’ve got been in a position to efficiently perform this Antarctica flight immediately and get the affected person to New Zealand to obtain additional medical therapy,’ Scott stated.
Ambassador of the US to New Zealand Tom Udall took to social media thanking the Hercules crew for his or her efforts.
“Our longstanding, bilateral co-operation in Antarctica, and to and from the ice, is at all times deeply valued – however particularly significant immediately. Thanks in your service.”
Defence Minister Judith Collins additionally praised the efforts of the crew.
“This is among the most harmful operations they usually did it with back-up obtainable from our Australian ally [that was not called upon],” Collins wrote on X.
Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking information. He has labored for the Herald since 2022.
