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Planes in the Antarctic
Twin Otters and Hercules
are not the names of my pets
Planes are as yet to be used extensively by the Australian Antarctic Division in Antarctica, however two planes in particular have been used down south. The RAAF's Hercules aircraft were used in the 1980s to drop supplies in Antarctica and the DeHavilland Twin Otters have recently been added to use in support roles.
Twin Otters
The Australian Antarctic Division has been using the DeHavilland Twin Otter aircraft occasionally in the Antarctic. Several other countries in the Antarctic use the Twin Otters for transportation and as support for various operations. This is mainly because of the long distances that they are able to travel and the support they are able to provide because of this.
The AAD has selected Twin Otters to be used in the expedition to Prince Charles Mountains in th 2002-03 season. They will be on lease from Ken Borek Air and will be used to transport personnel from Davis to the Prince Charles Mountains and to provide aerial support.
C-130 Hercules
I am yet to find some information about the C-130 Hercules, used by the Royal Australian Air Force. This plane was used for a short time in the last 30 years by the Australian Antarctic Division and dropped supplies at stations.
One of the ways this plane has gained its reputation is by being a workhorse for the RAAF. Apart from that, its role in the Antarctic seems to be very minor; either that or the Antarctic Division did not feel it necessary to speak much about it on its webpage.
Thanks to the interview with a man who used to be a pilot with the AAD, I learned that the Hercules dropping supplies may have been one of the reasons hundreds of penguins stampeded in the early 80s. There were many other possible causes of the 'stampede' but since then laws have been put into place that make sure aircraft do not disturb the fauna of Antarctica.