Kenn Borek Air rescue flights to Antarctica make it to the next stop

Two planes from Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air have made it to Rotheraon the Antarctic Peninsulato wait for favourable weather to complete amedical mission to Antarctica.

The aircraft have arrived atthe British Antarctic Survey station at Rothera,saidPeter West with the U.S. National Science Foundation.

He says they willwait at Rothera for favourable weather for a flight to the SouthPole.

• Kenn Borek crews capable of risky rescue mission to Antarctica, says former pilot
• Kenn Borek Air heads out on medical rescue mission at Antarctic station

The two Twin Otter planesleft Calgary lastTuesday.

One will stay at the British station for search and rescue purposeswhile the other will travel 2,400kilometres further to the Amundsen-Scott Research station at the South Pole.

The foundation says a seasonal employee with Lockheed Martin at the Amundsen-Scott station requires hospitalization and must be evacuated.

West said there is a possibility a second patient may also be flown out of the station once an aircraft arrives"but that decision has not been taken yet."

Details of the patients' medical conditions would not be released due to privacy concerns, West said.

'Coldest and darkest time of the year'

It's mid-winter in Antarctica and the foundation says flights in and out of the station are usually not planned between February and October due to the harsh winter weather.

In fact, it's only been done twice before in the 60 years the research station has been in operation once in 2001 and again in 2003, both times by Kenn Borek Air.

"It's the coldest and darkest time of the year," West said.

"It's very, very,challenging."

The foundation says the Twin Otter aircraft that Kenn Borek Air flies are able to operate in extremely low temperatures and can land on skis.