New Year Honour for British Antarctic Survey’s Head of Air Unit
3 January, 2025
Rod Arnold, Head of the Air Unit at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list for services to Polar Science and …
Air Operations team
Our ambition
Is to operate and manage an integrated fleet of aircraft for research, survey and polar logistics.
We aim to execute a challenging programme of airborne science and logistics and to provide a worldwide capability that gives the environmental science community access to a range of aircraft platforms and instrumentation. The fleet comprises the five specially adapted aircraft (De Havilland Canada Dash 7 and four Twin Otters).
At the beginning of each season the aircrew – eight pilots and four engineers – ferry the aircraft south from their base in the northern hemisphere. Flights in the Antarctic take place during the Antarctic summer, between October and March, as winter darkness and very cold temperatures prevent flying at other times.
Team priorities
- To undertake a wide variety of transport and science missions using a fleet of aircraft equipped with modifications to allow them to carry out airborne science surveys
- Transport science and support teams to Antarctica by facililtating regular shuttle-flights from Rothera to and from the Falkland Islands and Punta Arenas, Chile during the austral summer
- Ensure that all aircraft are maintained to the highest standard of safety and comply with relevant airworthiness regulators’ requirements
- Support deep-field research operated from Rothera and Halley research Stations and from field stations at Fossil Bluff and Sky-Blu.
Technology, innovation and training
- We stay abreast of the latest technological developments in polar aviation
Influencing and leading international programmes
- We provide specialist advice and expertise to other polar programmes and operators
Stakeholder engagement
- We work with other national operators of polar programmes to share best practice
- We work with NERC-funded research teams to develop airborne survey equipment and other science fit outs
- We engage with aviation authorities
BAS wins national award for runway resurfacing project
25 October, 2024
British Antarctic Survey has won the Gold Award at the National Building and Construction Awards 2024 for ‘The Project of the Year (£10 million to £25 million)’. Oliver Darke, Director …
Pilotless plane test crew arrives in Antarctica
3 February, 2024
A team have arrived at Rothera Research Station, ready to start testing the new Windracers ULTRA autonomous drone in Antarctica. If successful, the new drone platform could represent a major …
Flying campaign to improve climate modelling begins
3 February, 2023
A team of scientists are currently conducting a major experiment over the Southern Ocean that will help to improve climate modelling. The Southern Ocean Clouds project team are performing several …
Arctic flights to shed light on sea ice and storms link
11 August, 2022
Scientists are flying research aircraft through the heart of Arctic storms this summer to better understand how weather systems are affecting polar sea ice. Arctic cyclones are the main type …
Falkland Islands Government and BAS work together on forthcoming Antarctic season
30 September, 2021
Despite the global pandemic, the strong strategic relationship between the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has gone from strength to strength. Following the success of the …
Scientists to study methane emissions in North Sea
23 April, 2019
Scientists embark on a three-week flying campaign today (23 April) to study methane emissions from gas fields in the southern North Sea. Using specialised scientific equipment, on board one of …
British Antarctic Survey seeks small passenger aircraft for Antarctica
18 December, 2018
British Antarctic Survey is seeking to purchase a small passenger aircraft to work alongside its de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Series 110 (Dash 7). The aircraft will transport science and support teams and cargo between Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula and Punta Arenas, Chile.
Air unit awarded prestigious aviation award
11 August, 2017
The British Antarctic Survey Air Unit have been awarded the Johnston Memorial Trophy for 2017 by The Honourable Company of Air Pilots. This is a considerable acknowledgement of the regard held …
PRESS RELEASE: New season – ambitious science
23 November, 2015
New season tackles ambitious science and logistical challenges The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) 2015/16 field season is underway with dozens of scientists and support staff – together with planes and tonnes …
PRESS RELEASE: Aircraft achieve high standard
8 December, 2009
British Antarctic Survey achieves registration for the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has achieved registration for the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). Following …
A new chapter for Rothera Research Station: inside the Operations Tower
7 March, 2025 by Matthew Hughes
As Rothera Research Station continues its modernisation programme, Matt Hughes, Tower Operations Supervisor, shares his thoughts on the transition to our new Operations Tower, marking a significant milestone in Antarctic …
Studying methane emissions in Bolivia
12 March, 2019 by James France
Dr James France has just completed a week-long flying campaign using one of the BAS Twin Otters fitted with scientific instrumentation. Find out more about his experience.
ANTARCTIC BLOG: Polar guide arrives on site #5
2 December, 2015 by Ashly Fusiarski
As we finally approached our input site I could see our future home in the distance, a little black dot on a frozen white ocean, slowly growing in size as …
The THINICE field campaign: Interactions between Arctic cyclones, tropopause polar vortices, clouds and sea ice in summer
1 December, 2024 by Alexandra Weiss, Daniel Beeden, Thomas Lachlan-Cope
The THINICE field campaign, based from Svalbard in August 2022, provided unique observations of summertime Arctic cyclones, their coupling with cloud cover, and interactions with tropopause polar vortices and sea…Seasonal periodicity of physical factors, inorganic nutrients and microalgae in Antarctic fellfields
1 January, 2003 by Kevin Hughes, Peter Convey, Rod Arnold
Over 15 months between January 1990 and March 1991, a range of physical, chemical and biological parameters was monitored regularly in fellfield soils of frost-sorted polygons at four sites on…Competition, sub-lethal mortality and diversity on Southern Ocean coastal rock communities
1 January, 2001 by Rod Arnold
Overgrowth competition, sub-lethal mortality (some zooids killed but colony survives) and subsequent growth from fragments, and diversity of communities encrusting rocks (pebble through to boulder size) were examined from five…Ecology of subtropical hermit crabs in S.W. Madagascar: cluster structure and function
1 January, 2001 by Rod Arnold
The Madagascar coast (both) has a higher density and diversity of hermit crabs than is known from any other localiy in the western Indian Ocean. Of the 20 species occurring…Read more on Ecology of subtropical hermit crabs in S.W. Madagascar: cluster structure and function
A growth cline in encrusting benthos along a latitudinal gradient within Antarctic waters
1 January, 2001 by Rod Arnold
Growth and mortality of 3 species (Inversiula nutrix, Celleporella bougainvillei, Fenestrulina rugula) of encrusting bryozoans were examined from 5 Antarctic localities, along a latitudinal gradient. Typically, growth in marine invertebrates…Frost flowers as a source of fractionated sea salt aerosol in the polar regions
1 January, 2000 by Eric Wolff, Victoria Auld
Frost flowers collected from the surface of new sea ice near the Brunt Ice Shelf, Antarctica, show depletion in sulphate and sodium relative to other sea water ions. This is…Read more on Frost flowers as a source of fractionated sea salt aerosol in the polar regions
Possible latitudinal clines in Antarctic intertidal and subtidal zone communities encrusting ephemeral hard substrata
1 March, 1999 by David Barnes, Rod Arnold
Aim Encrusting faunal communities on rocks were examined from Southern Ocean intertidal and subtidal (6 m) zones to investigate potential change with latitude. Location The site locations were South Georgia…Collembola of sub-Antarctic South Georgia
1 January, 1999 by Peter Convey, Rod Arnold, William Block
Qualitative samples of Collembola were obtained from a range of substrates near Husvik, Stromness Bay, South Georgia, between January anti March 1996. Collections made at Hope Point near Grytviken (Cumberland…The life history of the diving beetle, Lancetes angusticollis (Curtis) (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), on sub-Antarctic South Georgia
1 January, 1998 by Peter Convey, Rod Arnold
Two populations of the world's most southerly diving beetle (Lancetes angusticollis) were studied on sub-Antarctic South Georgia between November 1995 and April 1996. Parallel observations were made on laboratory cultures…
Contact
Rod Arnold, Head of Air Operations
Mark Thomas, Head of Aircraft Engineering
David Landy, Chief Pilot
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