Eight pilots, a technical officer and seventeen mechanics work aboard the icebreaker Almirante Irízar throughout the current Summer Antarctic Campaign so that the two helicopters that operate from that ship fly an average of 250 hours each summer in supplying the thirteen bases that Argentina manages in its territory on that continent.
During the first fortnight of February the Two units of the Second Naval Helicopter Squadron of the Argentine Navy (EAH2) embarked on the Irízar were essential to supply the Belgrano II base, andArgentinian location closest to the South Pole and which can only be accessed by air.
For that mission, 26 members of the unit had to organize themselves to complete in just six days, 170 flights of about 25 kilometers between the icebreaker and the base under the harsh Antarctic weather conditions and with loads of two tons hanging under the fuselage of their aircraft.
The commander of the unit, Lieutenant Commander Juan Antonio Prados, stated in dialogue with Télam that “unlike land-based helicopters, naval helicopters, such as the SeaKing that we operate, have the possibility of navigating (a kind of landing) on the flight deck of a ship thanks to their landing gear. reinforced landing and to be ‘hangarados’ (sic) inside the ship because they can fold their blades, in addition to having a flotation system that allows ditching in an emergency situation”.
“This particular squadron has a lot of Antarctic experience because it always accompanied the Irízar in each of its campaigns until the fire in 2007; when the icebreaker returned to service in 2017 we returned with it and for us it is a year-round task because it involves prepare all the prior logistics that will ensure that we have two helicopters ready to fly an average of 250 hours each summer in Antarctica,” he said.
Prados pointed out that “we are also preparing for this task by making a pre antarctic training which implies the flight in mountains and snow, studying geography and particular meteorology from each of the thirteen Antarctic bases of our country; The most complicated to operate is Belgrano II because the icebreaker is about 25 kilometers away, which forces all operations to be carried out by air in conditions in which you have to be very attentive to possible complications.”
“In Antarctica the weather is very changeable so one of the security measures we adopt is not to take off from the icebreaker if we do not have visual contact with the destination point; At these latitudes, the phenomenon of ‘whitening’ is very dangerous, in which the sensation of depth is lost and as a result of ‘white’ the sky is confused with snow, causing pilots to become disoriented,” he warned.
The soldier mentioned that “although The SeaKing are designed to carry up to 2,700 kilos in Antarctica, we operate with loads of about two tons on average. In any case, due to their volume, some can affect the aerodynamic conditions of the flight and if this puts the operation of the aircraft at risk, there is the alternative of activating the load ejection system to stabilize the helicopter.”
“To prepare and execute the flights we have the support of the Irízar, who is very well prepared and has a very well-equipped meteorology section with access to satellite images and highly trained personnel to make our own forecasts in addition to knowing very well the peculiarities of Antarctic meteorology,” he stressed.
“The two bases where helicopters are most required are Belgrano II due to the distance to the icebreaker and Marambio because the height of the island makes it difficult to unload cargo on its shores, we are also available for all the tasks assigned to us by the Joint Antarctic Command,” Prados said.
And completed: “Each Antarctic campaign is a joint and team effort in which each unit contributes its grain of sand to supply the bases and allow them to face the winter”.
This year, a pilot from the German Navy joined the unit to fly as a co-pilot during the first stage of the campaign and will later return to his country.
The SeaKingsThey carry a crew of two pilots, a mechanic and an assistant mechanic on each flight, and during the year they have their seat at the Comandante Espora Naval Air Base of the Bahía Blanca district of Buenos Aires.
