Globemaster Takes Off As Runway Breaks Up

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28513, 17 February 1958, Page 10

Globemaster Takes Off As Runway Breaks Up

A heavily-laden United States Globemaster took oft for Christchurch from McMurdo Sound early vesterday morning just in time to avoid the rapid breaking-up of the airstrip, which, threatened aircraft, stores and a control tower on the ice. Floes were cracking from the icefront just 200 yards from the airstrip as the Globemaster roared down the 5500 ft runway and well into the emergency over-run area before it lifted off the ice into the stormy sky.

As the bay ice broke up almost Underfoot helicopters took more than 70 men out to the Globemaster which had been standing by for an airdrop at the South Pole.

As the ice broke up a Navy Dakota and two Otters took off for a two-minute flight to Scott Base, where they landed on firmer ice beside the New Zealand station, and tractors towed the airstrip control tower away in a bid to save thousands of pounds worth of ground control apnroach equipment. A midnight alert was called after Captain Eugene Maher, Antarctic base commander, Lieu-tenant-Commander E. E. Ludeman, base commander at McMurdo Sound and Major Merle Dawson, just back from the tractor train to Byrd station, flew over the ice by helicopter. The Globemaster passengers, mostly summer support men and I-G.Y. scientists returning home, assembled at the end of the base’s main street and were ferried out to the air Strip five and six at a time, with all their gear. They included three men from Scott Base—Richard Brooke, Bernie Gunn and lan Chapman. Cases on Runway

Within an hour the passengers were all aboard the Globemaster, but had to turn out shortly afterwards to move cases which had been stacked by the runway ready for the drop at the South Pole. Once aboard again. Captain Jack Wrinkle roared the engines and moved off to the end of the runway At 3 a.m the Globemaster was airborne.

A Press Association message from Scott Base says the Americans wasted no time tearing the airfield installation from the ice runway. A voice asked over the radio: “Where is the control tower?” He was answered: “The McMurdo tower is secured. It is being towed away.” This was two hours before the Globemaster took off.

Another voice came on the air: “We have 50,000 gallons of gas on the ice. Help is desperately needed to get this off.” At 1 a.m. the first of the American’s light aircraft left the precarious ice runway and flew round Cape Armitage to the Scott Base runway which is still protected by several miles of fast ice. Aircraft at Scott Base

Although there is still continuous daylight in Antarctica, at this time of the year the twilight is not far away at midnight, and the aircraft navigation lights were blinking. Scott Base now has aircraft of three nations arranged on the ice below Pram Point—machines from New Zealand, Britain and the United States. The fleet comprises two Dakotas, two Otters,

one Beaver and one Auster.

The main American runway on the bay ice is menaced by a blunt and very wide finger of open water which is now less than 1000 yards clear of the strip. A vehicle track across the ice from the American base which had stood for the past three seasons is now severed by several hundred yards of grey water.