*Flying* Capetown to Antarctica
Apr 27, 2006, 3:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 502
*Flying* Capetown to Antarctica
Thought this new info justified a new thread.
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Did more research. Cape Tour Charters out of South Africa handled the special charter for Astronomical Tours of the U.S. In case anyone wants to follow up on this option....
ALCI has a website. The have an IL-76 that can fly 80 passengers in 6 hours from Cape Town to the Novolazareskaya. Apparently 3 flights in November, 2 in February. Nothing scheduled for 2007 yet. Couldn't find pricing.
I'll be in Cape Town in July, and see if I can hunt 'em down.
"Whilst researching the 2003 eclipse, CTC made contact with Antarctic Logistic Company International, a newly formed company in South Africa, a joint venture between Meihuizen International Shipping Company, South Africa and INTAARI, of St Petersburg, Russia. The original discussions centered on vessel charter, but once it became clear that ALCI would be granted the license to land an aircraft on the mainland of the Antarctic, CTC changed focus, as the advantages of viewing an eclipse from a stable platform far outweighed a ships deck. Staff of CTC were invited to attend the first ever flight to the Antarctic, in early Dec 2001. This flight landed on a specially constructed runway at the Russian Antarctic base of Novolazareskaya. Shortly after this trip, CTC signed a cooperation agreement with ALCI, the purpose of this agreement being to promote tourism to Dromming Maud Land. Starting with the eclipse of 2003, tourism to this region will be slowly built up. Positive developments include a certain portion of the cost of each trip being used to preserve the unique qualities of the Antarctic. Tourists will be obliged to adhere to the strict code of conduct set up by ALCI and Green Peace."
*********
Did more research. Cape Tour Charters out of South Africa handled the special charter for Astronomical Tours of the U.S. In case anyone wants to follow up on this option....
ALCI has a website. The have an IL-76 that can fly 80 passengers in 6 hours from Cape Town to the Novolazareskaya. Apparently 3 flights in November, 2 in February. Nothing scheduled for 2007 yet. Couldn't find pricing.
I'll be in Cape Town in July, and see if I can hunt 'em down.
"Whilst researching the 2003 eclipse, CTC made contact with Antarctic Logistic Company International, a newly formed company in South Africa, a joint venture between Meihuizen International Shipping Company, South Africa and INTAARI, of St Petersburg, Russia. The original discussions centered on vessel charter, but once it became clear that ALCI would be granted the license to land an aircraft on the mainland of the Antarctic, CTC changed focus, as the advantages of viewing an eclipse from a stable platform far outweighed a ships deck. Staff of CTC were invited to attend the first ever flight to the Antarctic, in early Dec 2001. This flight landed on a specially constructed runway at the Russian Antarctic base of Novolazareskaya. Shortly after this trip, CTC signed a cooperation agreement with ALCI, the purpose of this agreement being to promote tourism to Dromming Maud Land. Starting with the eclipse of 2003, tourism to this region will be slowly built up. Positive developments include a certain portion of the cost of each trip being used to preserve the unique qualities of the Antarctic. Tourists will be obliged to adhere to the strict code of conduct set up by ALCI and Green Peace."
