A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130H Hercules crew has, carried out a rare medical evacuation of a patient from Antarctica, taking advantage of a narrowing gap in the weather to fly the challenging night-time mission. 
On Tuesday 25th 2024, the New Zealand Hercules flew from Auckland to Christchurch, taking off at 02:00 local time and arriving at Phoenix Airfield (WAP USA-42) in Antarctica at 08:50.
According to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Hercules landed using night vision goggles. The eight-hour return flight required the Hercules to be “hot fueled” on the ice (meaning the engines were kept running during refueling). The engines were kept running to protect them from the extreme cold – the temperature was -33C or -27-4F and -40C or -40F with the wind chill.
The patient was an American from the large McMurdo Station (WAP USA-22) near New Zealand’s smaller Scott Base (WAP NZL-Ø1). The patient is reported to be in a stable and non-life-threatening condition. The manner of the problem the patient was facing is unclear, but they required medical treatment that was not available on the base in Antarctica.
Thanks and credit to: Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)