Sask. pilot recalls daring rescue mission to the South Pole

It's not a trip everyone is cut out for but for a Saskatoon man — a rescue mission to the frozen land of the South Pole was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

Wallace Dobchuck was born and raised in Saskatoon, where at a young age he put in many hours flying float planes with his father.

At a meeting of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in Boise, Idaho in June, Dobchuck and others were asked who would like go on a rescue mission to the South Pole, where two people needed medical attention at Antarctica's Amundsen-Scott research station.

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Setting off

Having flown to the South Pole a few times in the past and having spent months at the facility, it was a no-brainer for Dobchuck. Before he knew it he was in the pilot's seat ready to roll the dice and navigate through the tumultuous weather conditions on his way to the South Pole.

But it's mid-winter in Antarctica and the foundation said flights in and out of the station are usually not planned between February and October due to the extreme cold and darkness.

"One of the big things is weather affects everything we do down there. You kind of almost get sick of asking, 'How's the weather?' because it dictates everything anyone does," Dobchuck told CBC Radio's Afternoon Edition.

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Battling the elements, Dobchuck said the trip — which lasted 16 days over 39,000 kilometres — was a reminder why he moved to Calgary to join Kenn Borek Air.

"What really draws them here are the interesting or the not-on-the-normal-path pilots take and I think that's what people like about this, it's kind of different," he said.

The NSF said the aircraft that Kenn Borek Air flies, the Twin Otter, is able to operate in extremely low temperatures and can land on skis. Because there is no tarmac runway at the South Pole, the foundation said the aircraft must land in total darkness on compacted snow.

A successful mission

After leaving Calgary June 14, the crew arrived at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station a week later and rested for 10 hours before beginning their return journey with two of the 48 people stationed there.

Upon arrival, Dobchuck said the people waiting for them were relieved help finally showed up.

"They were grateful, happy to actually get on with it. By the time the decision was made to come down and get them to when they finally got moving was about seven or eight days so they were definitely happy to see us," he said.

Dobchuck's plane made the 2,400-kilometre, nine-hour trip on June 21 from the South Pole to Rothera, a British base on the Antarctic Peninsula. A second Twin Otter took the pair to Punta Arenas, Chile.