Wilkins Aerodrome Explained

Wilkins Aerodrome
Icao:YWKS
Type:Private
Operator:Australian Antarctic Division
City-Served:Australian Antarctic Territory
Location:Wilkes Land, Antarctica
Elevation-F:2,529
Coordinates:-66.6908°N 111.5236°W
Pushpin Map:Antarctica
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Pushpin Label:YWKS
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Antarctica
Pushpin Relief:yes
Metric-Rwy:yes
R1-Number:09T/27T
R1-Length-M:3,200
R1-Surface:Ice
Footnotes:Sources: Australian AIP aerodrome chart[1]

Wilkins Aerodrome[2] is a single-runway aerodrome operated by Australia, located on upper glacier of the ice sheet Preston Heath, Budd Coast, Wilkes Land, on the continent of Antarctica, but 40km (30miles) southeast of the actual coast. It is named after Sir Hubert Wilkins, a pioneer of Antarctic aviation and exploration.[3]

History

Construction of a runway in the Australian Antarctic Territory was first suggested in the 1950s, but logistical, political and environmental issues delayed construction of the runway until 2004. The A$46 million dollar runway is carved into glacial ice, approximately 65km (40miles) from the Australian base at Casey Station.

In order to be approved by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Wilkins must be levelled to runway standard with the use of lasers and requires a crew of eight to maintain the level and friction of the runway before each landing.[3]

Activities

CASA issued an aviation licence for the airline Skytraders to operate passenger flights,[4] and the first flight was made on 11 January 2008, carrying Australia's Environment Minister Peter Garrett, twelve scientists and six other passengers.[5] [6]

Flights to Antarctica leave from Hobart International Airport in Tasmania using an Airbus A319, and the flight takes around four hours. Prior to the runway's completion, the trip to Antarctica involved a ten-day journey by ship across the Southern Ocean from Hobart. The runway operates only during the Antarctic summer, and twenty to thirty flights per season are planned. The flights are used to transport scientists conducting Antarctic research, and are not available for tourist flights.[7] However, since the opening of the runway, no more than 10 flights in one season have been achieved. This is primarily due to environmental conditions at the site, temperatures being warmer and causing melt of the runway, thus decreasing the window of opportunity to use the runway. As of January 2012, only four flights were planned for the summer season and all in February 2012.[8]

In 2015, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Antarctic Division commenced cargo flights from Hobart International Airport to Wilkins Runway using C-17 Globemaster aircraft.[9] The service will also be used for medical evacuations, if required. The C-17 was used as a faster and more frequent alternative to the Aurora Australis supply vessel.[10]

In March 2022, Wilkins reported 15 successful flights.[11]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/pending/dap/WKSAD01-161_07NOV2019.pdf Aeronautical Chart
  2. Web site: n.d. . Wilkins Aerodrome . 1 June 2024 . antarctica.gov.au.
  3. News: Scmitz . Sebastian . From Oz to Ice: Flight Operations of the Australia Antarctic Division . Airliner World . Key Publishing Ltd . November 2010.
  4. http://news.smh.com.au/casa-approves-antarctic-flights/20080108-1kub.html CASA approves Antarctic flights
  5. Clarke, Sarah: Antarctic plane heading home after maiden flight, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 11 January 2008.
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20130609223914/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23256507/ Australia builds Antarctic ice runway - News - nbcnews.com
  7. http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/historic-flight-lands-in-antarctica/2008/01/11/1199988538801.html Historic flight lands in Antarctica
  8. http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/01/06/290041_tasmania-news.html Meltdown cuts Antarctic flights
  9. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-22/raaf-involved-in-first-air-cargo-mission-to-antarctica/6961488 Delivery for Antarctica: RAAF, Antarctic Division complete first air cargo mission to icy continent
  10. News: RAAF operates C-17 proof of concept flights to Antarctica . 11 February 2021 . Australian Aviation . 22 November 2015 . en-AU.
  11. News: Wings over the ice: Australia lands successful Antarctic aviation season . 27 May 2022. 22 March 2022.