Pilot makes first NVG Antarctic landing

From CNN - A U.S. Air Force pilot has landed a plane in Antarctica in
the dark for the first time using night-vision goggles, a feat that
could lead to more supply flights to scientific bases in the frozen
continent during its dark winter months, officials said Friday.

The C-17 Globemaster cargo airplane landed in a driving snowstorm on the
10-kilometer (six mile) ice runway at the U.S. Antarctic research center
at McMurdo Station, after months of practice runs by pilots using the
goggles.

The Air Force plane took off from Christchurch, New Zealand, and flew
nearly six hours before landing Thursday night. It returned to
Christchurch early Friday.

Air Force Lt. Col. Jim McGann said the airplane's own lights --
reflecting off of traffic cones -- allowed it to land without electrical
runway lights that are too hard to maintain in the frozen environment.

McGann told New Zealand's national radio that the breakthrough flight
could mean year-round supply flights for U.S. and New Zealand science
bases on the ice.

Traditionally, the onset of the southern hemisphere winter in Antarctica
ends flights to the frozen continent for six months as the sun sinks
below the horizon.

"At the moment, we make that last trip in February and then don't come
back until August," McGann said. "If we can go in and out a couple of
times a month, we can go and get people out or drop more people off."

The head of the New Zealand government's Antarctic research body, Lou
Sanson, told The Associated Press that the flight was a technological
achievement that would allow the U.S. Air Force to operate virtually
around-the-clock on the harshest continent on Earth.

"I think the most significant advantage is medical evacuation," he said.

At least three major medical evacuations have been carried out from
Antarctic bases in recent years, including an emergency flight for a
U.S. doctor at the South Pole who had developed breast cancer.

Sanson said the night-flight breakthrough also opens new opportunities
for research.

"If we look ahead 10 years, it may offer important new opportunities for
winter science, be it the study of sea life growth or emperor penguins
in winter -- it gives the ability to put scientists into there for a
short time rather than the whole winter," he said

"Ned" wrote in message ...
From CNN - A U.S. Air Force pilot has landed a plane in Antarctica in the
dark for the first time using night-vision goggles, a feat that could lead
to more supply flights to scientific bases in the frozen continent during
its dark winter months, officials said Friday.

The C-17 Globemaster cargo airplane landed in a driving snowstorm on the
10-kilometer (six mile) ice runway at the U.S. Antarctic research center
at McMurdo Station, after months of practice runs by pilots using the
goggles.


Can NVG's see through a driving snow storm?

Graham

"TacAN" wrote in message
...

"Ned" wrote in message ...
From CNN - A U.S. Air Force pilot has landed a plane in Antarctica in the
dark for the first time using night-vision goggles, a feat that could
lead to more supply flights to scientific bases in the frozen continent
during its dark winter months, officials said Friday.

The C-17 Globemaster cargo airplane landed in a driving snowstorm on the
10-kilometer (six mile) ice runway at the U.S. Antarctic research center
at McMurdo Station, after months of practice runs by pilots using the
goggles.


Can NVG's see through a driving snow storm?

Graham

Good question. And with the aircraft's landing lights on, the amount of
reflected light from the snow-flakes would normally overwhelm the goggles. I
know from personal experience that NVGs aren't that great when using them in
heavy rain and active illumination.


--
"Those who beat their swords into ploughshares will plough for those who
didn't".

"Spartan613" wrote in message
...
"TacAN" wrote in message
...

"Ned" wrote in message ...
From CNN - A U.S. Air Force pilot has landed a plane in Antarctica in
the dark for the first time using night-vision goggles, a feat that
could lead to more supply flights to scientific bases in the frozen
continent during its dark winter months, officials said Friday.

The C-17 Globemaster cargo airplane landed in a driving snowstorm on the
10-kilometer (six mile) ice runway at the U.S. Antarctic research center
at McMurdo Station, after months of practice runs by pilots using the
goggles.


Can NVG's see through a driving snow storm?

Graham

Good question. And with the aircraft's landing lights on, the amount of
reflected light from the snow-flakes would normally overwhelm the goggles.
I know from personal experience that NVGs aren't that great when using
them in heavy rain and active illumination.



Which was pretty much what I was thinking.

Graham



--
"Those who beat their swords into ploughshares will plough for those who
didn't".

"TacAN" wrote in message
...

"Spartan613" wrote in message
...
"TacAN" wrote in message
...

"Ned" wrote in message ...
From CNN - A U.S. Air Force pilot has landed a plane in Antarctica in
the dark for the first time using night-vision goggles, a feat that
could lead to more supply flights to scientific bases in the frozen
continent during its dark winter months, officials said Friday.

The C-17 Globemaster cargo airplane landed in a driving snowstorm on
the 10-kilometer (six mile) ice runway at the U.S. Antarctic research
center at McMurdo Station, after months of practice runs by pilots
using the goggles.


Can NVG's see through a driving snow storm?

Graham

Good question. And with the aircraft's landing lights on, the amount of
reflected light from the snow-flakes would normally overwhelm the
goggles. I know from personal experience that NVGs aren't that great when
using them in heavy rain and active illumination.



Which was pretty much what I was thinking.

Graham



--
"Those who beat their swords into ploughshares will plough for those who
didn't".


High intensity IR LED's in the landing lights would do the job quite well
without having to worry about the reflected active illumination from the
main landing lights, in conjunction with IR reflectors (as used on the back
of most military vehicles in night time full tactical situations) would
finish the job, Hell I have been doing some experiments with IR stuff for
the last couple of months, and it would seem pretty trivial (and I can get
my ****y little civilian grade high intensity IR's to project for at least
100 meters with a decent reflector) so for the guys in the military who have
been working with this stuff for decades it should be a relative walk in the
(dark)park :-)

--
God made me an atheist. Who are you to question his wisdom?

On Sep 13, 3:33 am, "Atheist Chaplain" wrote:
"TacAN" wrote in message
...
"Spartan613" wrote in message
...
"TacAN" wrote in message
...

"Ned" wrote in ...
From CNN - A U.S. Air Force pilot has landed a plane in Antarctica in
the dark for the first time using night-vision goggles, a feat that
could lead to more supply flights to scientific bases in the frozen
continent during its dark winter months, officials said Friday.

The C-17 Globemaster cargo airplane landed in a driving snowstorm on
the 10-kilometer (six mile) ice runway at the U.S. Antarctic research
center at McMurdo Station, after months of practice runs by pilots
using the goggles.

Can NVG's see through a driving snow storm?

Graham

Good question. And with the aircraft's landing lights on, the amount of
reflected light from the snow-flakes would normally overwhelm the
goggles. I know from personal experience that NVGs aren't that great when
using them in heavy rain and active illumination.

Which was pretty much what I was thinking.

Graham

--
"Those who beat their swords into ploughshares will plough for those who
didn't".

High intensity IR LED's in the landing lights would do the job quite well
without having to worry about the reflected active illumination from the
main landing lights, in conjunction with IR reflectors (as used on the back
of most military vehicles in night time full tactical situations) would
finish the job,

"Hell I have been doing some experiments with IR stuff for
the last couple of months, and it would seem pretty trivial"

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/89009.html

MILspec goes to -40. I had a freezer to test electronics
that went lower, wires shatter, metal brittles. You'll need
to extend your specs to -120F.
Ken

Paul Saccani wrote:
On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:08:28 +1000, Ned wrote:

Air Force Lt. Col. Jim McGann said the airplane's own lights --
reflecting off of traffic cones -- allowed it to land without electrical
runway lights that are too hard to maintain in the frozen environment.

You would think that they could just use retro reflectors, rather than
go the NVG route.

Good point - actually CNNs "traffic cones" - dumbed down to witches hats
in the minds of it's natural audience, were in fact retro reflective cones.

"Major Corey Simmons, the pilot, was ecstatic that he and his crew were
the first people in aviation history to land on the Antarctic continent
at night.

"We just did the first NVG (Night Vision) landing on Pegasus using retro
reflective cones that we have been testing for about 18 months or so,"
said Simmons."

"It was actually pretty challenging & with some heavy snow, so when we
first extended the lights out into the environment it's probably like
you've seen snow at night with your car and your high beams on and it's
come at yah .. well that was coming at us, except at 180 miles an hour,"
says Pilot Lieutenant-Colonel Jim McGann.

But the four hour flight in the end was smooth and the 20 pilots
onboard were all given a chance to see how the winter flights will work.

"The goggles were fantastic, the outline and runway were perfectly
clear we could see it from three miles, rolled right in picture perfect
landing," says McGann.

Above quotes from NZ TV which also has footage of the NVG view.

Ned

TacAN wrote:
"Ned" wrote in message ...
From CNN - A U.S. Air Force pilot has landed a plane in Antarctica in the
dark for the first time using night-vision goggles, a feat that could lead
to more supply flights to scientific bases in the frozen continent during
its dark winter months, officials said Friday.

The C-17 Globemaster cargo airplane landed in a driving snowstorm on the
10-kilometer (six mile) ice runway at the U.S. Antarctic research center
at McMurdo Station, after months of practice runs by pilots using the
goggles.


Can NVG's see through a driving snow storm?

Graham



Antarctica gets very little snow which makes me wonder what CNN's
definition of blizzard would be.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

"Ken S. Tucker" wrote in message
...
On Sep 13, 3:33 am, "Atheist Chaplain" wrote:
"TacAN" wrote in message
...
"Spartan613" wrote in message
...
"TacAN" wrote in message
...

"Ned" wrote in ...
From CNN - A U.S. Air Force pilot has landed a plane in Antarctica
in
the dark for the first time using night-vision goggles, a feat that
could lead to more supply flights to scientific bases in the frozen
continent during its dark winter months, officials said Friday.

The C-17 Globemaster cargo airplane landed in a driving snowstorm on
the 10-kilometer (six mile) ice runway at the U.S. Antarctic
research
center at McMurdo Station, after months of practice runs by pilots
using the goggles.

Can NVG's see through a driving snow storm?

Graham

Good question. And with the aircraft's landing lights on, the amount
of
reflected light from the snow-flakes would normally overwhelm the
goggles. I know from personal experience that NVGs aren't that great
when
using them in heavy rain and active illumination.

Which was pretty much what I was thinking.

Graham

--
"Those who beat their swords into ploughshares will plough for those
who
didn't".

High intensity IR LED's in the landing lights would do the job quite well
without having to worry about the reflected active illumination from the
main landing lights, in conjunction with IR reflectors (as used on the
back
of most military vehicles in night time full tactical situations) would
finish the job,

"Hell I have been doing some experiments with IR stuff for
the last couple of months, and it would seem pretty trivial"

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/89009.html

MILspec goes to -40. I had a freezer to test electronics
that went lower, wires shatter, metal brittles. You'll need
to extend your specs to -120F.
Ken

your also assuming that the de-icing on the AC is turned off ??

--
God made me an atheist. Who are you to question his wisdom?

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 07:58:41 -0500, Dan wrote:

Antarctica gets very little snow which makes me wonder what CNN's
definition of blizzard would be.

Three snowflakes.