{"id":121248,"date":"2022-01-27T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/?p=121248"},"modified":"2022-01-28T00:17:13","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T00:17:13","slug":"boeing-737-max-lands-first-time-in-antarctica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/2022\/01\/boeing-737-max-lands-first-time-in-antarctica.html","title":{"rendered":"Boeing 737 Max lands for first time in Antarctica."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Air carrier Smartwings<\/strong> landed its Boeing 737 MAX 8<\/strong> in Antarctica. The landing at Troll Airfield at the northern tip of Antarctica took place on January 26, 2022, and 737 MAX is the first aircraft of its type here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flight was chartered by Aircontact to carry the members of the Norwegian Polar Institute to their base. The Troll Research Station located 235 kilometers from the coast in the eastern part of Princess Martha Coast, in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Run by the Norwegian Polar Institute, the station is dedicated to environmental and climate monitoring, scientific research, and mapping. The runway is built on a glacier at an altitude of 1232 meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The flight beyond the Southern Arctic Circle went smoothly. Smartwings\u2019 Boeing 737 MAX (registration OK-SWB) took off from Oslo, Norway, heading for Cape Town, South Africa (with a stopover in N\u2019Djamena, Chad). From Cape Town, the aircraft continued to Antarctica. The flight lasted 6 hours and the plane stayed in Antarctica for 2 hours, before setting off for Oslo via Cape Town again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crew of the Smartwings aircraft received continuous weather reports and updates on the airport operability during the flight via datalink and satellite phone communication. The 3,000m long runway covered with ice is used for landing and takeoff. The thick of the ice was measured and analyzed to withhold the operation. The surface was specifically prepared, and braking action measured by Norwegian Polar Institute prior to operation to allow takeoff and landing according to regulations and aircraft manufacturer standards keeping all the safety margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landing on a glacier requires a specially trained crew which consisted of 3 experienced captains – Tom\u00e1\u0161 Nevole, Jan \u0160\u0165astn\u00fd and Lubom\u00edr Mal\u00edk. \u201cIt is necessary to prepare thoroughly for such a flight. The preparations took many months, and the flight and landing went smoothly,\u201d says Smartwings captain and flight director Tom\u00e1\u0161 Nevole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The captains had to undergo special training to become familiar with the area and the airstrip. All crew members undertook Arctic Survival training. The aircraft was equipped with Polar survival kits including polar clothes for the crew and in addition some critical spare parts were carried on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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