Anaired helicopters bring a lifeline to the Antarctic winter
Australian Skytraders pilots Rod and Louise Robertson, a married couple with 25 years of combined experience, carried out a daring midwinter rescue on 31 July, hauling a US expedition member from McMurdo Station to Christchurch in New Zealand.
The Airbus A319, dubbed Snowbird 1, was retrofitted with a stretcher in the rear. Engineers and the design team spent 24 hours configuring the cabin before a 12‑hour wait for a weather window. The crew took off from Hobart just after dawn, survived a 1‑hour ground stop at Phoenix Airfield, and landed on a freshly groomed 3‑km runway under a snow‑storm‑laden sky.
“We were in total darkness, facing temperatures of -43 °C, with no forecast of sunshine until the next day. It was the most complex operation I’ve ever been involved in,” said Louise Robertson. Her husband, Rod, was the pilot who landed at the US research station.
The patient was air‑lifted to Christchurch for urgent medical care and is now recovering well. Emma Campbell, head of the Australian Antarctic Division, praised the mission, noting it “highlights both the capability of our people and the strong partnerships that underpin Antarctic programmes around the world.”
Skytraders had previously completed a similar evacuation in March 2020 when temperatures were -30 °C. The team’s success demonstrates the exceptional preparation and international cooperation required for Antarctic aviation emergencies.
