![]() It would be a long day for the crew but the excitement of participating in such a unique event stood above anything else.Īs always we start with a crew briefing on arriving at the aircraft. As this was the very first flight, with limited support on the ground, we planned for a 3h turnaround time in WFR. The 2500 nm between CPT and WFR would take us 5h10m on the way down, and 5h20m on the return. The first two sorties are solely for the purpose of setting up the operation down in Antarctica, ahead of the 2021/2022 summer season. We expected 23 passengers, all staff from the customer, and as this was the first flight of the season, most of the ground support equipment that we would need in WFR (Wolf’s Fang Runway, Antarctica) was actually in our cargo compartments. Processing through the airport took another 30 minutes and we arrived at the aircraft at 6 am, with two hours left to our STD (Scheduled Time of Departure).Įngineers and Ground Operations staff had left the hotel an hour earlier, so when we arrived at the aircraft refueling was completed and cargo loading was underway. Transportation took 30 minutes to CPT airport. The crew assembled and departed the hotel in Cape Town at 5 am local. The turnaround in Antarctica took less time than the initially planned three hours, with Flight Operations, Ground Operations and Maintenance doing an impeccable job. Its exceptional range and 4 engine redundancy also makes it ideal for this type of remote operation. Highly reliable, comfortable, with an excellent safety record, the aircraft was carefully chosen to perform well in this extreme environment. It is an aircraft that delivers, every time. ![]() Hi Fly 9H-SOL is an A340-313HGW (High Gross Weight) with a maximum take-off weight of 275 tons. Never before has an A340 landed on an Antarctic blue glacial ice runway. The aircraft will be used this season to fly a small number of tourists, alongside scientists and essential cargo to the White Continent. Portuguese Version here Hi Fly has made history once again, by landing, for the first time ever, an Airbus A340 in Antarctica.Ĭaptain Carlos Mirpuri and his crew flew the widebody aircraft, from Cape Town to the White Continent and back the journey is 2,500 nautical miles, flying for just over five hours each way. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2023
Categories |