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Polar circle assigned to recover Russian plane at the South Pole
09:19 a.m. EDT Oct 2, 2003
Polarcircle Expeditions and Travel have been charged by the Russian authorities to try to recover the Russian aircraft abandoned at the South Pole last year. They will drive in an "environmentally sensitive snow buggy" from the Antarctic Peninsula to the South Pole where the broken Antonov-3 biplane was left in January 8, 2002.
The plane was left there after the propellers had stopped working shortly after landing. Originally the plane was to carry only one Russian official on a mission to prepare the reconstruction of a failing Russian Antarctic station. But when the plane landed fourteen people got off the plane, some of them tourists. No one onboard had any survival gear with them.
Because of the high cost of fuel at the South Pole, the US National Science Foundation, which controls the airfield, will not refuel private aircraft. The Antonov-3 was thus left put as a "Museum for the Americans". The unexpected Russian lot were flown out by American staff.
The South Pole station staff have asked for the Museum to be removed and the Russian authorities assigned PC to solve the task. According to their website; "Polarcircle Expeditions is proud to undertake this delicate and challenging mission".
Image courtesy of Polar circle
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