Hear from Capt Louise Robertson, an A319 pilot operating the Skytraders emergency rescue flight from Antarctica on 31 July.
Skytraders described the aeromedical evacuation by the Australian pilots (Capt Louise Robertson, Capt Rodney Robertson, Capt Alistair Wallach), engineers and medical personnel in mid-winter darkness as an “extraordinary mission”.
It is extremely rare and risky for aircraft to land in Antarctica at the height of winter, with temperatures during the rescue plunging as low as -43C.
“Every Antarctic mission demands absolute precision, but winter operations raise the complexity significantly,” says Captain Wallach.
The patient was transported in a critical condition to a hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand, reports ABC News. Watch video (that includes an interview with Capt Robertson from 3:25 mark):