ICE RUNWAYS NEAR THE SOUTH POLE

Following an examination of air photographs of the Transantarctic Mountains, 37 blue-ice areas were reconnoitered from the air, using a ski-wheel Twin Otter operating from the South Pole. Two sites were selected as potential airfields for conventional transport aircraft, and ground surveys were made. On the Mill Glacier at 85 deg 06 min S, 167 deg 15 min E there is an area of smooth and level ice which gives a 7-km run directly into the prevailing wind. Five wheel landings were made there. Alongside Mount Howe there is a large area of level ice at 87 deg 20 min S, 149 deg 50 min W. It offers a 7-km runway, but there is a strong crosswind component from the prevailing wind and some bumps on the ice surface need to be planed off. Eight wheel landings were made at Mount Howe.

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

  72 Lyme Road
  Hanover, NH  United States  03755-1290
• Authors:
  • SWITHINBANK, C
• Publication Date: 1989-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 47 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Airport runways; Ice; Landing
• Geographic Terms: Arctic Regions
• Old TRIS Terms: Arctic area
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Design; Highways; Pavements; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00494018
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: CRREL-SR-89-19
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 30 1990 12:00AM