I was watching some of the Stargate series and in the first episode of Atlantis they showed the General landing in a chopper in antarctica. I always thought that C130ss had to be used because of how rugged they are. But what kinda range do choppers have?
The answer is pretty much No. The shortest distance from McMurdo to civilization is about 2100 miles (to the South Island of New Zealand). The world straight-line helicopter distance record is 2213 miles, no doubt done in a very special machine and considerably assisted by wind.
Normal helicopters are proud of maximum range around 600 miles or so.
I guess since some helicopters are capable of in-flight refueling, it’s “possible” to fly a helicopter into Antarctica. I’d think it’d be insanely risky, not to mention a really long flight.
Alternately, they could stage off a ship (CVN, LHA, LHD, what have you) and fly to McMurdo.
But yeah, absent that, no way. Weather would be really fun. Helicopters just love headwinds and IMC.
Edit: if we can squint and call a V-22 Osprey a helicopter, they have the range to maybe ferry to McMurdo, with maybe a top-off refueling at some point in the flight.
I always understood that General O’Neil was taking the helicopter from McMurdo to the sight of the Ancient Outpost, not from the mainland to McMurdo.
I know a woman who had to be rescued from base camp at K-2 with a broken femur. The helicopter had to make two preceding flights prior to the actual rescue to lay in fuel caches. She’s in her 70’s now, so I think this would have been in the late 70’s or early 80’s. I’ll try to ask when I see her next.
But than how did it get there in the first place? Actually I think you are right after I posted this i watched that part again and they do mention it. Although I do not get how they get away with having that much military equipment down there without everyone else getting pissed. But than again everyone speaks english on alien worlds
In the circumstances, refueling stops may have been set up. It still seems impractical to use rotor craft in those conditions. I didn’t see the documentary though, perhaps the weather there is much milder than I am predicting.
In the book (and movie) the Perfect Storm they talk about a helicopter that could be refueled in flight. It was a rescue chopper but it crashed because the bad weather made them unable to refuel. One guy died but the other crew members were picked up by a coast guard cutter.