Matt Hughes
@Hughes_Matt
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Moving to Threads Occasional Antarctican | Tower Operations Supervisor at the Rothera Research Station
Exeter and Antarctica
Joined April 2009
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Rothera Ops: Your watchful eyes on aviation operations in the Antarctic
Great to get this Kenn Borek Basler and two other aircraft enroute to their destinations deeper in the Antarctic yesterday morning.
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Approach, land, taxi, tow.
It's all the same down here, just in the Antarctic.
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A long day for the crew of this Basler. AWI touching down at Rothera before taking on fuel and continuing on to the South Pole yesterday.
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We usually work in 24 hour daylight but, towards the end of season, we can end up flying after twilight. And that calls for some runway lighting. We had threshold and stopend lighting installed last season but we also have deployable, battery powered runway edge lights.
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One of the worlds most unusual Baslers. This aircraft dropped in from Pole yesterday on their way back up to Punta Arenas. This Aircraft came off the line in 1942, flew in the European theatre and now flies around the Antarctic. The funny shaped nose houses scientific equipment.
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Wow! Hello to all you amazing new followers. I can't promise much, but I hope to be able to provide you with semi-regular updates about life and work down here.
For now, here's the mighty Dash-7 that flew us down on Monday.
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Very sadly, last night was my last ever controlling shift. TOM5EN had the honour of being my final aircraft.
It's been a wonderful 14.5 years working in ATC with a superb team of people. I'll miss them and the unit dearly.
But Antarctica beckons once more.
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I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I will, temporarily, be trading the control tower
@Exeter_Airport
for the control tower at the Rothera Research Station in Antarctica. I'm so excited to head south to work with what already seems to be a phenomenal team
@BAS_News
.
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Half a tonne of fresh fruit and veg arrived today. Today is a good day.
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A huge thanks to 47 Sqn
@RAFBrizeNorton
for facilitating an airdrop to our blue ice runway at SkyBlu today, providing important logistical support to our operation. Thanks for the flyby at Rothera a few hours later too! 👋🏻
@RoyalAirForce
@BAS_News
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You liked the Twin Otter up at the caboose, so here she is again.
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It turns out that the lure of returning to Antarctica was a little too much for me to be able to resist.
After some careful consideration, I have decided to leave Exeter Aiprort and controlling after over 14 years to take on the role of Tower Supervisor back in Rothera.
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Today has been a busy day with:
- 3 transiting a/c arriving
- 1 transiting a/c departing to Neumayer
- 1 southbound cargo run on the Dash
- 1 training flight
- 1 flight of the Aerophot survey
- 1 run to Fossil Bluff and back
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The first airdrop by an A400 has been completed at Sky Blu. The aircraft treated us to a flyby here at Rothera on their way back to MPA.
The fuel dropped at Sky Blu enables us to continue deep-field science campaigns further into the future.
@BAS_News
@RoyalAirForce
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One of the slightly odder Antarctic days yesterday with 3 aircraft arriving up at the Rothera skiway simultaneously.
Our friends from the Chilean Air Force stopping in for fuel on their way back to Marsh and a quick crew and cargo change on BB.
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That's the last transiting aircraft passed through Rothera now.
One more rotation to do with the Dash and then that's the end of this Antarctic flying season for us.
I better go and pack my bags.
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Getting the flying programme going!
Conditions were good enough for one of the Kenn Borek Twin Otter to switch directly to boards for departure.
Our Twin Otters operate with wheel skis for the whole season.
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Unfortunately, the clouds never quite cleared for us down here at the Rothera Research Station for the
#SolarEclipse
. We did get a noticeable dip in light levels though. What a place to experience this celestial event!
@BAS_News
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I still can't quite get my head around where I am, but this is home for now 🏠
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On the deck in Punta Arenas.
Antarctic flying season complete.
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@missyouemmy
@AliceJaneGray
Err, dogs love running. You throw a ball and they just run. Or is throwing a ball for a dog considered selfish now?! 🤷🏻♂️
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Antarctic Day Out
I was lucky enough to get a co-pilot trip to Fossil Bluff today.
Fossil Bluff is one of our important teeny-tiny bases for fuel stops, enabling the aircraft to get deeper into the continent.
We dropped off supplies for the team running it at the moment.
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Another Dash shot. This time just as she's about to touch down on Runway 36 after doing the RNP approach with a little bit of light snow.
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The RRS Sir David Attenborough operating in Ryder Bay after completing resupply and refuelling operations at Rothera.
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Lucky enough to have had my first Humpback whale sighting.
Happy New Year everyone!
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The last Basler (AWI) leaving the continent for the season.
We've got one more Twin Otter to fly north and a few more Dash-7 rotations before we fully closeout the flying season down here.
@BAS_News
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After a failed attempt yesterday, I'm glad to say we made it in nicely this afternoon.
It's good to be back!
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Are you team Twin Otter or team Sir David Attenborough?
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Quick trip down to my favourite place in the Antarctic yesterday.
This was a fuel run down to Fossil Bluff to ensure we've got plenty of fuel there for some deeper field work that's due to commence imminently.
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Basler OOU on the apron framed nicely by the icebergs loitering about near the runway.
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Who else thinks that the SpaceX spacesuits look ridiculous too then?!
📸: NASA
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Our Dash-7, affectionately known as Daisy, arriving after one of many runs between The Falklands and Rothera. She's been busy bringing in staff and essential supplies.
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Hazards you don't usually get at many other airports are icebergs.
This tabular berg (tabbie) has hung around with us all season but decided to come for a closer inspection recently. Towering some 100-150ft high it could've impacted operations had it got any closer.
@BAS_News
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Here, one of the
@RoyalAirForce
's A400s from
@RAFBrizeNorton
(via
@BFSouthAtlantic
) drops our last load of fuel in to Sky Blu.
This fuel enables us to continue deep-field science campaigns into future seasons.
Thanks to pilots
@Jamie_Pilot
&
@Adam_E_Roche
and co.
@BAS_News
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There we go, our first two Twin Otters have begun their long ferry flights down to Punta Arenas in Chile.
These flights usually take a little over a week. We'll catch up with them after we arrive in Punta at the end of next week.
The Antarctic flying season begins...
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It's a construction site, an airport, a research facility, a shipping port, a hub of Antarctic operations. It's also our home here on a small island just off of the Antarctic peninsula! Glorious!
@BAS_News
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A couple of nights ago I set my camera up to do some long exposures at work. This was the result 😊
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Rothera lit up beautifully in the very early morning a few nights ago.
We’re due to enter 24 hour daylight on the 1st December for a couple of weeks.
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I launched one of our weather balloons today. It reached a peak altitude of 87,657ft. Data from the attached radiosonde is used for the modelling of worldwide weather patterns.
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The magnificent RRS Sir David Attenborough arriving at Rothera Research Station yesterday.
Feeling pretty lucky to be here for her first operational voyage to Antarctica.
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After 131 days in Antarctica the time has come to finally head home.
Rothera’s a great example of many people coming together and the team being greater than the sum of its parts. With that we get to achieve some pretty unimaginable things.
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Rothera with the mountains of the Arrowsmith Peninsula behind. For context, these mountains are over 20 miles away from station.
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That's all BASs Twin Otters off continent now. There's only one more Borek one left, and that’ll be passing through in the next day or so. After that there are 2 more Basler left, a few more Dash rotations and that’ll be aviation on this side of the continent over with!
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Twin Otter up at the caboose for a cuppa whilst operating at the Rothera skiway.
*Open up for a big pano
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Great to finally have the flying programme kick off.
First photo is our Twin Otter ‘AZ’ off on a quick training mission.
Second is a Kenn Borek Twin Otter on the long 9hr flight to the Amundsen-Scott Research Station, better known as The South Pole.
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After some post-Antarctic recovery, it’s back to work today.
The next 11 months is about getting the new Ops Tower operational. It's the biggest challenge that I've undertaken, but one I'm excited to start work on and see through with the rest of the teams.
Let's get cracking
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The Antarctic field flying season is starting the closeout. Our colleagues at Kenn Borek, are stopping off at Rothera for a refuel before continuing to Punta Arenas.
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The Dash kicking up some dust for a picturesque dusty departure.
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Our ride home arriving at Rothera for the final time this season.
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A Happy New Year to you all from the Rothera Ops Team.
Available on all good HF radio frequencies and satellite communications systems.
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Enjoying a cuppa after my morning shift whilst listening to the subtle crackings and groanings of the icebergs.
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After another 145 days in the Antarctic, the Sun sets on another successful flying season out of Rothera.
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One of the world's greatest flights:
Rothera - Fossil Bluff
If we’re lucky, we get a chance to get off of station for a few hours. We could end up anywhere. The Bluff’s always a high probability but it's also one of the best.
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Our beautiful Dash 'Daisy' touching down for the penultimate time this season.
She's taking a bunch of people north tomorrow, flying back down on Tuesday and then taking me and a few others on the Last Dash Out on Thursday, closing out the season.
@BAS_News
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Rothera’s a stopping point for lots of aircraft heading deeper into Antarctica for the season.
This White Desert Basler arrived a few days ago and is now waiting on some improved weather to head on across to Neumayer.
@BAS_News
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I was lucky enough to get another flight down to Fossil Bluff yesterday. It's the most wonderful place. Check out all of the meltpools on the ice shelf. Unfortunately no time to get to the cottage or go fossil hunting this time though.
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We might have had quite a bit of fun exploring around the SDA last night!
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The Dash being towed out in a brief snow flurry before its first trip back north this summer.
The Dash will operate 24 rotations this season between Punta Arenas and Rothera, with two rotations to the Falklands amongst that.
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The Dash on it's second flight back north this season.
The Dash will fly the Punta Arenas to Rothera leg over 30 times this year bringing support staff and scientists onto the continent.
It'll also do some supply runs to Sky Blu and conduct Aero Surveys.
@BAS_News
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Hurrah! I did manage to get some photos of last nights storm! Certainly an interesting evening. The CG lightning didn't start until the storm had moved further north.
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Up early to meet a weather window.
This was the glorious vista, looking NE towards the Pegasus Mountains across The Sound, that greeted us at 5am.
The silence and beauty is indescribable.
@BAS_News
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We've had our last southbound passenger transfer from the Falklands. The Dash can now do what she does best, and that's running lots more fuel and equipment deeper into the continent to our blue ice runway at SkyBlu.
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Up at the Rothera skiway getting VP-FAZ ready for it's next flight into the field.
@BAS_News
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E322 up close!
Both aircraft parked up as we complete the uplift of this science team. We were on the deck here for a few hours packing everything away.
@BAS_News
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Got to meet the Twotters today. They’ll be out doing some super cool stuff soon!
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Basler GCX waiting on the apron for its Antarctic season to truly begin.
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It's straight into some busy prep and work days now, but I did enjoy my first quick walk around The Point before bed last night.
I knew I loved this place but each time I return it's magically renewed. The awe never leaves!
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Do you ever feel like you're living in a nature documentary?
You might recognise this pod from
#FrozenPlanet2
, it's the exact same bunch.
Some of us got to watch them for 3 hours teaching the younger Orca how to knock seals off of icebergs!
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Monday morning in Antarctica: 6 fuel drums dug out and riding in the magnificent Snow Cat!
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The view of station from the top of The Ramp. It's looking quite a bit different this year with the Discovery building actually looking fairly imposing!
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Antarctica Day 0 - 22/10/22
Early arrival at Punta Arenas airport, refuel and load the Dash and watch BAS Twin Otter VPFBC get airborne a little ahead of us (we overtook them later).
@BAS_News
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We flew down to a site on the periphery of the Ellsworth mountains that we affectionately call E322, better known as the Holth Peaks at 77°S, to pick up a science team. They've been radar surveying the area to find a the perfect drill site for next year.
@BAS_News
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I know you're all only here for the penguin photos really.
We're seeing lots more Adélie penguins around at the moment.
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In the sheer enormity of this vast continent, this is the tiny little outcrop we call home.
It might not be looking its best here with some murky weather and big construction cranes but this place throws delights at you that I'll never really be able to explain.
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Night out away from base and the beauty of the heavens. Can't beat this!
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Here's our home from halfway up 'the ramp'. Another glorious day in the Antarctic.
*Again, open up for a full pano.
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