Sitry Airstrip Explained

Sitry Airstrip
Icao:AT23
Type:Private
Operator:ENEA-Unità Tecnica Antartitide
Location:Antarctic Plateau
Opened:2000
Closed:2010
Elevation-F:6735
Elevation-M:2053
Coordinates:-71.6552°N 148.6524°W[1]
Pushpin Map:Antarctica
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of airfield in Antarctica
R1-Number:17/35
R1-Length-F:3280
R1-Length-M:1000
R1-Surface:Ice
Footnotes:[2]

Sitry Airstrip, the name is derived from the abbreviation of C-3, was an Antarctic skiway operated by the Italian ENEA-Unità Tecnica Antartitide as part of the National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA).[3]

The airstrip is located at above the sea level on the Antarctic Plateau and is from Zucchelli Station. The skiway was used, since 2000, by the Italian personnel as fuel depot and refuelling point for the Twin Otters flying from Zucchelli Station to Concordia Station.

Sitry was visited for the last time, by the Italian researchers, in 2010; it was equipped with a shelter, which in case of emergency, could accommodate 8 people.

The skiway was abandoned because of sastrugi and the impossibility for the Twin Otters to land, however it is planned to remove any thing from the site while the refuelling point was displaced to Mid Point Airstrip.

AWS Irene

The Automatic weather station, called by the code name Irene, installed on the site is out of use because of the impossibleness to do the maintenance. It makes part of a network run by the Antarctic Meteo-Climatological Observatory which collect data by 12 others operating weather stations.[4]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rapporto Campagna Antartica 2012-2013 . UTE - ENEA . 1 September 2020.
  2. Web site: Sitry Skiway . Airport Nav Finder . 1 September 2020.
  3. Web site: Sitry Point . SCAR Composite Gazetteer . Australian Antarctic Data Centre . 1 September 2020.
  4. Web site: Data Access . Antarctic Meteo-Climatological Observatory . ClimAntartide . 1 September 2020.