An Air Force Hercules crew performed a rare winter medical evacuation in Antarctica on Thursday. The American patient from McMurdo Station had a condition that wasn’t life-threatening but required medical treatment that couldn’t be provided in Antarctica.
Air Commodore Andy Scott said that flights to Antarctica during this time of the year are dangerous due to the extreme cold, with temperatures reaching -33 degrees Celsius. Because there’s no daylight, the crew had to wear night vision goggles to fly into the Phoenix Airfield. This technology was first used by the RNZAF for a similar medical evacuation in July 2021.
The aircraft had to be refueled in Antarctica as there were no airfields to divert to on the way. The engines were kept running during refueling to protect them from the extreme cold, a process known as “hot fueling”. The decision to continue or turn around is referred to as a ‘boomerang’ point.
The return journey to Christchurch took over seven hours. The US ambassador to New Zealand, Tom Udall, praised the RNZAF for their “world-class medical evacuation”, acknowledging the extraordinary challenge of flying in the dark, in harsh weather conditions, and in the middle of winter. He expressed deep appreciation for the longstanding cooperation between the two countries in Antarctica.
