NZ Air Force uses C-130J Hercules to conduct ‘challenging’ Antarctica evacuation

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) performed a high-risk winter rescue using a C-130J Hercules in order to evacuate three researchers from Antarctica.

According to the RNZAF, the medical evacuation was requested by the United States National Science Foundation, which advised the air force that three staff from McMurdo Station in Antarctica needed medical attention.

Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said the extreme cold and changeable weather conditions plus landing on ice in the dark, make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging for RNZAF air crews to perform.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) (@nzdefenceforce)

<script async src=”//www.instagram.com/embed.js”></script>

The aircraft had been pre-positioned from Auckland to Christchurch on August 3, 2025, with the crew waiting for a window in the weather to complete the flight.

On the afternoon of August 5, 2025, the crew made the decision to fly, working through the night to complete the mission.

“Although they determine it is safe, it’s still an extremely challenging environment to fly in on Night Vision Goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge,” Scott said.

“This, coupled with there being no airfields available to divert to once the aircraft is past a certain point south adds to the risk, so these missions are not taken lightly,” he added.

Scott also said that due to extreme conditions, the crew can only attempt the flight after detailed analysis of the weather and airfield state. 

“The United States Antarctic Program Winter Team must physically create the runway before we can depart by ensuring the ice is groomed and suitable for landing,” he said.

Overnight, the RNZAF carried out a high-risk winter medevac from the U.S. Antarctic Program’s McMurdo Station. Landing a large aircraft on ice, in darkness, using night vision, takes precision and extraordinary skill. We are deeply grateful for the crew’s professionalism,… pic.twitter.com/IKrS2bxxEQ— US Embassy NZ (@usembassynz) August 6, 2025 The aircraft flew to Antarctica with New Zealand Defence Force medical personnel including a doctor on board to care for the patients on the flight back to Christchurch.

The entire medical evacuation took about 19.5 hours to complete. The aircraft landed back in Christchurch on August 6, 2025.

RELATED

New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 breaks down while flying PM to Japan

The post NZ Air Force uses C-130J Hercules to conduct ‘challenging’ Antarctica evacuation appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source