Mid-air fuelling on way to Ice

Press, 4 October 1984, Page 9

Mid-air fuelling on way to Ice

The first flight to McMurdo Station for the summer yesterday was also the first passenger flight to be refuelled in mid-air on its way to Antarctica.

A United States Air Force Starlifter left Christchurch about 10 a.m. yesterday and was refuelled in flight by a U.S.A.F. KCI3S tanker. It landed about IVz hours later in clear blue skies and unlimited visibility. The temperature when the aircraft landed was -s.6deg.

Lieutenant Emily Hopkins, of the United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, said that the inflight refuelling had been done so that the aircraft could carry a bigger load. It took 117 passengers and about 11 tonnes of cargo. Lieutenant Hopkins said that the aircraft had been able to fly to McMurdo Station, check the landing conditions, and would have had enough fuel to return to Christchurch if the conditions had not been suitable.

Lieutenant Hopkins said the tanker was in Christchurch for the Triad 84 military exercise and had been sought for the Antarctic flight., The flight was considered part of the training for the KCI3S crew. The Starlifters, which make the midwinter air drops to McMurdo Station are normally refuelled in flight, but they do not carry passengers.

The Starlifters will continue to fly to Antarctica until early next month when the ski-equipped Hercules aircraft will take over the job.