Calgary based Kenn Borek Air carrying out medical evacuation at South Pole
Posted Jun 14, 2016 9:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Two Twin Otter planes from Calgary based Kenn Borek Air are on their way to the South Pole to carry out a medical evacuation.
One will stay at the British station Rothera for search and rescue purposes, while the other will travel on to the Amundsen-Scott Research station at the South Pole.
The planes left Calgary Tuesday morning bound for the southern continent.
National Science Foundation spokesperson Peter West says they don’t normally schedule flights for this time of year, because of extreme cold and darkness.
The temperature at this time of year hovers around -60 degrees celsius.
He says they’re monitoring the situation closely to see when the weather will cooperate.
“Their equipment, their aircraft, are better suited for the cooler weather than some other options,” said West. “We’re keeping a careful eye on the weather, I don’t know what the window is that far out. The 19th is the earliest they can get to the pole and that’s quite a few days away.”
He adds their crews are familiar with the area.
This is the third time in 15 years Kenn Borek Air has carried out similar flights.
The other two times happening in 2001 and 2003.
