Norse landing a Dreamliner on a glacier in Antarctica

Posted by randiwulf@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 42 comments

I was lucky and got a ride with a Dreamliner from Norse visiting the Troll research station in Antarctica. This is the Dreamliner landing on the Troll airfield when it came back to pick us up going home.

The airfield is located on a glacier. The airfield is owned and operated by the Norwegian Polar Institute, it consists of a 3,300-by-100-metre (10,830 by 330 ft) runway on glacial blue ice on the Antarctic ice sheet. The airport is located at 1,232 metres (4,042 ft) above mean sea level and is 235 kilometres (146 mi) from the coast.

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discombobulated38x@reddit

Those trents are loving that cold cold air

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Brave_Acanthaceae475@reddit

What do the breaking performance calculations even look like for that. Is that Runway condition 0?

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randiwulf@reddit (OP)

I don't really know anything about that. But I know that before every landing breaking test calculations are done.

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simpleanswersjk@reddit

how'd you get a gig in Antarctica?

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randiwulf@reddit (OP)

It's my job, I can't really go to in to what I do. But you could get a trip down as a participant in one of the research programs that's located there or as someone serving one of the functions to facilitate the research or one of the stations.

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Enes_da_Rog1@reddit

Why tf is there a Troll Research Station? I mean trolls aren't real, right? Right?

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louibbk@reddit

Yeah, no, of-course they aren’t…… 😬

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randiwulf@reddit (OP)

Yeah you are right, also there's no UFO's down there either.

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Charlie7Mason@reddit

That's one UFO we can all do without. Pray there isn't one.

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tennissokk@reddit

According to the Norwegian King it was named after his wife.

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Enes_da_Rog1@reddit

Oof

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sixpackabs592@reddit

There aren’t even any bridges down there

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opteryx5@reddit

So jealous. Would love to go to the nunatuks of Queen Maud Land one day.

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bluejayfreeloader@reddit

I read Nurse and was super impressed.

Landing on a glacier in Antarctica isn't as impressive, sorry /s

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Jazzlike_Climate4189@reddit

Wow I didn’t know they took regular 787s to Antarctica.

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_Banstyle_@reddit

If you go to union glacier with Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions you fly in 757 operated by IcelandAir, landing on a blue glacier as well. Due to international treaty it’s technically a domestic flight from PUQ to UGL. Side fun fact - the airstrip at the South Pole is NPX. Source: did the trip a couple months ago.

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volan_usz@reddit

Smartwings does it with 737 MAX from Cape Town

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VMaxF1@reddit

Not just 787s either - a few aviation YouTube channels have been doing videos recently where they went to Antarctica with a company called White Desert. They fly down there in an ordinary Hi Fly A340.

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randiwulf@reddit (OP)

We had one plane, Basler BT-67, from White Desert landing and staying for a couple of days when I was there. I went to the airfield and took a look at it and got some good pictures.

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Far_Breakfast_5808@reddit

Was that the trip with Jeb Brooks or a different trip? I know he went to the South Pole on White Desert and rode on the Basler.

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randiwulf@reddit (OP)

I think he was there a few year ago, I was there just a month ago.

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VMaxF1@reddit

Oh wow, even better - that Basler is a cool thing!

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joshwagstaff13@reddit

The RNZAF flies Super Hercs and 757s into McMurdo.

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Nice_Classroom_6459@reddit

Neither did the pax!

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jawshoeaw@reddit

"brief layover folks"

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dingman58@reddit

Don't worry folks I know a shortcut

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NSA-offical@reddit

I'd have/need 4 full frame cams to capture this beauty🫢❤️....glad I have this video instead.

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itchygentleman@reddit

Alwqys interesting to watch a 787's wingtip go from above the fuselage to about window height

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wichwolfe@reddit

Thor blimey

(works if you're British)

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why_would_i_do_that@reddit

Is stopping difficult once landed on the ice?

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randiwulf@reddit (OP)

Landing on ice and snow is a regular thing for those pilots as they operate in arctic areas. Landing on the glacier isn't more difficult than landing on snow in back in Norway.

The biggest problem is keeping the runway open. It's on a glacier, and glaciers move. Slowly the runway become bent like a banana, and you can't land on that. Glaciers also get cracks in them, sometimes big cracks. So we need to locate the cracks, both small and big, and fill them with snow and compact the snow so the planes landing don't get in trouble.

Also weather conditions plays a big role in keeping the runway open. Getting the runway operational after real bad weather can take up to a week.

The runway is closed during winter time and usually only operates from early November to late February.

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amooz@reddit

Is it all thrust reversers and aero to slow the plane or are they heavy enough that the wheel brakes with ABS can come into the picture as well?

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randiwulf@reddit (OP)

I will guess that thrust reverse is the most important, but this is really a question to a pilot that's certified to land in conditions like this.

If any pilots here know, please let us know.

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KeynoteBS@reddit

Was going to ask if anyone can elaborate on the landing procedure and runway maintenance here. Seems like you'd either have to clear the runway before every runway/takeoff?

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randiwulf@reddit (OP)

See the answer above for the biggest problems.

We don't have to clear it for every flight operation, but it's a constant and quite a big job keeping it open.

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