Winter flight to Ice

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 2

Winter flight to Ice

New Zealanders winter-ing-over at Scott Base in the Antarctic should this week-end receive their first mail from home for five months.

A midwinter supply drop will be made on Saturday, weather permitting, by a United States Air Force Starlifter aircraft. More than 3200 kg of cargo will be dropped by parachute for the winter-ing-over parties at both McMurdc Station and Scott Base.

The last flight left the Antarctic in late February when the onset of winter began to prevent any further flights. There has been no mail cr other sup-

plies foi the men and women at the two bases since then. Wintering-over parties during the last five years have missed mail altogether during the long Antarctic winter. This weekend’s drop will be the first in winter since 1974, when an R.N.Z.A.F. Orion made the flight. This year’s flight is essentially for purposes of morale, according to a spokesman for the United States Air Force at Harewood.

He said such flights were technically difficult end involved a considerable amount of preparation. Lighted glide paths would have to be ar-

ranged, as it was perpetually dark in the Antarctic at this time of year. The weather was also expected to pose problems. Although the first attempt to fly south would be tade on Saturday, an exact time could not be set.

Attempts would be made on Sunday and Monday if the weather did not elea. for long enough to permit the drop on Saturday, he said. A United States aircraft has not made a midwinter drop since , 1962, but the spokesman could not say whether this year’s flight would be repeated in the future.

If the flight was suc-