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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1971-72: VUWAE 16

VUWAE 16A - PARTS 1 & 3 (McMurdo area)

VUWAE 16A - PARTS 1 & 3 (McMurdo area)

Kyle and Jennings were flown either by UH1N twin turbine or the smaller Sikorsky turbine helicopters on nine occasions. Kyle twice requested close support, totalling less than 2 hours, from the pilot to reach outcrops not accessible from the ground. On two other occasions close support was obtained after a request through the Scott Base leader. The support was extremely valuable and the cooperation of the pilots excellent. Twice landings were made under extremely poor weather conditions.

Two Polaris toboggans were used by Kyle and Jennings in the first two weeks of the season to collect from Cape Royds and to test the toboggans before going north to the Evans Neve. Minor stoppages were apparently caused by air locks in the fuel line. One machine developed a leak in the gear box, which was repaired at Scott Base. Another breakdown was caused by a broken drive sprocket key.

A toboggan was requested to map a large area on the slopes of Mt. Morning for the last two weeks of the season. Permission from Antarctic Division to use the new Johnson toboggan with ice cleats was denied, and the party took one of the less powerful Sno-tric toboggans. This was adequate as a personnel carrier until an axle broke, but the rubber tracks had no traction for pulling sleds on the icy slopes. This forced the party to camp at a much lower elevation than planned, and only about a third of the area could be covered.