LC130_Hercules_aircraft ... (41K)
Here is a photo of Antarctic travelers boarding an LC130 Hercules 
aircraft. This picture was taken at the Christchurch, NZ airport. 
From here they will travel for eight uncomfortable hours to McMurdo 
Station at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. If they are going to the 
South Pole, they still face another three hour hop in a similar 
aircraft to the Pole. Not seen on this picture are the skis that 
this aircraft has pulled up above its wheels. There are only a dozen 
of these aircraft in the world. This one is operated by Navy pilots. 
The New York Air National Guard also operates similar aircraft in 
support of the US Antarctic Program.