C-17 South Pole Air Drop

The C-17 is the larger aircraft that I flew from Christchurch to McMurdo. Since this is a wheeled aircraft, they cannot land at Pole (only planes with skis can land). However, they annually conduct a C-17 airdrop to keep the pilots and loadmasters certified, to practice in case it becomes a necessity in winter, and to deliver supplies.

For this airdrop, I skied out to the viewing area which happened to be near our RF building, so all the IT staff got on top of the building to watch. It was really cool to see the drop. The plane did two loops in the drop zone to drop cargo and then flew over again to verify where the cargo fell. After that, it flew the length of our skiway twice. Once at around 1000 feet and the last time at 300 feet. On the last run, as the plane reached the station, the pilot tipped its wing to us before turning and heading back to McMurdo and Christchurch.

Compared to the C130's that normally fly in here and land, the C-17 seemed huge. We actually had a C130 in at the same time so we could compare in real time. I've heard talk about trying to get a permanent runway in here so wheeled aircraft could land. C-17's can carry a lot more cargo, and during a year like this one when we're behind on fuel supplies, that could make a huge difference.

I have a complete powerpoint presentation of the mission. If anyone wants a copy, just email me.

Click here for some photos