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S V Choong

757 for Antartica

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Hope you guys don't mind, I am bringing some news from NZ into this forum.

Proposal for a modified 757 to Antartica mission. Read below (especially the last part).

 

Fish poachers' patrol may stay in Antarctic

 

 

07.07.05

 

 

An Air Force team could be stationed at Scott Base each summer as New Zealand gets tough on fish poachers plundering Antarctic waters.

 

Surveillance of illegal fishing boats in the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea has been done by long-range Orion aircraft flying from Dunedin.

 

But Antarctica New Zealand operations manager Julian Tangaere told the annual Antarctic conference in Christchurch this week that an Orion crew will fly to the ice runway in McMurdo Sound this spring to assess basing themselves there each summer.

 

"They're going to do additional surveillance there to pick up unauthorised fishing," he said.

 

"They'll use an Orion and they want to base it out of McMurdo and not from out of New Zealand, because it gives them a bit longer to patrol."

 

The Orion would go to Antarctica in November for a test flight.

 

Basing the aircraft at Scott Base would have some significant implications, said Mr Tangaere

 

"It has a crew of 18 and obviously they need somewhere to stay."

 

The Orion could also be used to assist research teams on the ice.

 

"It's also extremely capable in doing search-and-rescue and medevacs," Mr Tangaere said.

 

The Air Force will also assess using a modified Boeing 757 to take people and cargo to and from Antarctica as part of New Zealand's share of the joint logistics pool with the United States and Italian Antarctic programmes.

 

Antarctica New Zealand is facing a shortfall of capacity because the Air Force's rebuild of its ageing Hercules fleet over the next few summers means it can only provide 12 of the 15 flights New Zealand contributes.

 

Mr Tangaere said the 757 aircraft was faster and could carry more than a Hercules.

 

"That's why we're very keen to introduce this. It's a very capable aircraft," he said.

 

"Unfortunately, the 757 has to go through a number of rebuilds and modifications - putting in longer-range fuel tanks and a side cargo door.

 

"We hope late next year they'll be doing test flights and perhaps introducing it into service in 2007."

 

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10334498

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Interesting to see :o

 

ex Transavia Holland aircraft ;)

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Interesting to see  :o

 

ex Transavia Holland aircraft  ;)

1829[/snapback]

 

 

Hmm... Pieter, not sure entirely if they will be the two existing RNZAF 757-200s rego NZ7571 and NZ7572. May be they will acquire new 757s (2nd hand of course) as we are talking about the possibility of Hercules C-130 replacement.

 

The cargo door may well be similar to those on the 757Fs which DHL acquired from BA.

 

Probably the first ever jet to land on Antartica and it will be a long range 757... very interesting indeed.

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Sounds very interesting.

 

Thanks for sharing SV.

 

On another note, have you heard of any news regarding Jetstar operating trans-tasman flights over there in NZ ?

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On another note, have you heard of any news regarding Jetstar operating trans-tasman flights over there in NZ ?

 

Haven't heard anything yet, but will find out from my buddies here in NZ.

If Jetstar is to compete on the trans-Tasman flights, it will most likely be competing with Freedomair (a low cost subsidiary of Air New Zealand).

 

Thanks for viewing, Sing Yew.

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