{"id":117,"date":"2008-02-18T15:29:47","date_gmt":"2008-02-18T15:29:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.doctorross.co.za\/titan-aviation"},"modified":"2008-03-24T17:26:03","modified_gmt":"2008-03-24T17:26:03","slug":"titan-aviation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/doctorross.co.za\/?page_id=117","title":{"rendered":"Titan Aviation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kamov<\/a><\/p>\n

Working in Antarctica is a challenge on all levels, but perhaps the greatest challenges are in the field of logistics.\u00c2\u00a0 Without any form of infrustructure on the content, personnel and supplies have to be moved over great distances under harsh\u00c2\u00a0conditions.\u00c2\u00a0 Air support is one of the key ingredients, and the South African expedition relies heavily on helicopters to accomplish the logistical tasks involved in resupply and research during the summer months.\u00c2\u00a0 The Directorate for Antarctica & Islands of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, under which SANAE falls, has entered into an agreement with the SA-based company Titan Aviation to provide this support.<\/p>\n

This past season three Titan helicopters along with 8 pilots and technical personnel accompanied us aboard the SA Agulhas and at SANAE IV.\u00c2\u00a0 The first helicopter is a Kamov Ka32, built in Russia and designed for heavy lifting tasks.\u00c2\u00a0 With\u00c2\u00a0two sets of\u00c2\u00a0contrarotating rotor blades, the aircraft has no requirement for a tail-rotor, thus\u00c2\u00a0reducing her\u00c2\u00a0overall length while\u00c2\u00a0maintaining a lifting\u00c2\u00a0capacity of 5000kg.\u00c2\u00a0 The aircraft is also specially\u00c2\u00a0equipped to fly under conditions of extreme cold, and can carry up to 15 passengers in addition to her 3 crew.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Titan<\/a>\"titan1headonbouvet.jpg\"<\/a>\"Lifting<\/a>\"Titan<\/a><\/div>\n
\"Kamov<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0The other two helicopters\u00c2\u00a0are the ever-capable BO105, in two configurations – one equipped for 2 crew and 3 passengers was used for inspection flights and to fly passengers with limited cargo.\u00c2\u00a0 The other has a full medical conversion, with place for 2 flight crew, doctor and a patient in\u00c2\u00a0a stretcher configutation that allows medical intervention in flight, with oxygen supply and console for monitors, infusion pumps, etc.\u00c2\u00a0 I was fortunately familiar with this set-up, as we had an identical aircraft in Cape Town some years ago as an air ambulance, which was also used for rescue work.\u00c2\u00a0 Although at first it may seem\u00c2\u00a0superfluous to have an air ambulance helicopter in Antarctica, it must be remembered that South Africa carries the regional search and rescue responsibility in Dronning Maud Land, and our large medical facility is the preferred location for management of severe illness or injury.\u00c2\u00a0 This was proven recently when we had the opporunity to use this aircraft during the evacuation of an ill crewmember from the German construction vessel, Naja Arctica<\/em> (click on the link for details<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BO<\/a>\"BO105<\/a>\"Medical<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/a>Titan’s team, \u00c2\u00a0led by Antarctic veteran Captain Dick Hilland, took the difficulties of working in the white desert under their stride, sometimes working through the ‘night’ to ensure that we – and our essential supplies – were delivered safely and professionally despite inclement weather.\u00c2\u00a0 We look forward to seeing them again at the end of the year; in the meantime, the unique challenges of Marion and Gough Islands await them.\u00c2\u00a0 For more information about Titan, visit www.titanhelicopters.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The\u00c2\u00a0\"The<\/a>\"titan1pilots.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"titan1landing.jpg\"<\/a>\"View<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\"Captain<\/a>\"Captain<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Inside<\/a>\"Kamov<\/a>\"Pilot<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Working in Antarctica is a challenge on all levels, but perhaps the greatest challenges are in the field of logistics.\u00c2\u00a0 Without any form of infrustructure on the content, personnel and supplies have to be moved over great distances under harsh\u00c2\u00a0conditions.\u00c2\u00a0 Air support is one of the key ingredients, and the South African expedition relies heavily […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-117","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorross.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorross.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorross.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorross.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorross.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/doctorross.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/117\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorross.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}