New Zealand evacuates three from US Antarctic base
One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement.
The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities.
Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform.
"(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge," he said.
Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter.
The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly".
"We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said.
RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.
New Zealand's air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness.
One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement.
The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities.
Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform.
"(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge," he said.
Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter.
The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly".
"We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said.
RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.
New Zealand's air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness.
One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement.
The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities.
Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform.
"(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge," he said.
Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter.
The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly".
"We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said.
RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.
New Zealand's air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness.
One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement.
The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities.
Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform.
"(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge," he said.
Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter.
The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly".
"We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said.
RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.
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News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
NZ Air Force carries out daring overnight medical evacuation from Antarctica
The Royal New Zealand Air Force has carried out a challenging midwinter medical evacuation from McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The C-130J Hercules arrived at Christchurch on Wednesday morning carrying three patients from the United States' National Science Foundation, after the crew took advantage of a break in the weather and flew overnight to complete the 19.5-hour mission, the RNZAF announced. The medical evacuation was requested by the NSF because staff at the US base were unable to receive the care they needed in Antarctica. One person required urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were also taken on the flight. Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said the extreme cold, changeable weather conditions plus landing on the ice in the dark make midwinter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging RNZAF aircrews perform. 'The crew can only attempt the flight after detailed analysis of the weather and airfield state,' he said in a statement. 'The United States Antarctic Program Winter Team must physically create the runway before we can depart by ensuring the ice is groomed and suitable for landing. 'Although they determine it is safe, it's still an extremely challenging environment to fly in on Night Vision Goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge. 'This, coupled with there being no airfields available to divert to once the aircraft is past a certain point south adds to the risk, so these missions are not taken lightly. 'With the support of Antarctica New Zealand and United States' National Science Foundation staff in Antarctica, we have been able to complete the flight and the patients are now getting the medical treatment they need in Christchurch.' The aircraft flew to Antarctica with New Zealand Defence Force medical personnel including a doctor on board to care for the patients on the flight back to Christchurch. The aircraft had been pre-positioned from Auckland to Christchurch on Sunday afternoon, with the crew waiting for a window in the weather to complete the flight. On Tuesday afternoon, the crew made the decision to fly, working through the night to complete the mission. Once on the ice, the aircraft's engines were kept running to keep them warm while it is refuelled, known as 'hot refuelling', before the aircraft returned to Christchurch. Including the short time on the ice, the medical evacuation took about 19.5 hours to complete, the RNZAF said. McMurdo Station, located on Ross Island about 3920km from Christchurch, was established in 1955 and is the largest year-round US base on the continent. In the summer it houses up to 1100 staff, but that falls to around 200 at a time during the winter season. The annual mean temperature is -18C, but the station has recorded lows of -50C.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
New Zealand evacuates three from US Antarctic base
New Zealand's air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness. One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement. The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities. Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform. "(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge," he said. Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter. The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly". "We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said. RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024. New Zealand's air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness. One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement. The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities. Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform. "(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge," he said. Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter. The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly". "We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said. RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024. New Zealand's air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness. One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement. The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities. Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform. "(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge," he said. Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter. The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly". "We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said. RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024. New Zealand's air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness. One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement. The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities. Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform. "(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge," he said. Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter. The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out "flawlessly". "We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class," she said. RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.
7NEWS
2 days ago
- 7NEWS
Three people evacuated from US research base in Antarctica
New Zealand 's air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness. One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement. The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities. Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform. '(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge,' he said. Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter. The US Chargé d'Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out 'flawlessly'. 'We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn't hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class,' she said. RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.
