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Australian Pilot Stranded In Antarctica

Posted by michael on from the should-have-used-AAA dept.

mirio writes "Australian Jon Johanson is currently stranded in Antarctica at the US McMurdo outpost. He was attempting a flight from New Zealand to Argentina via the South Pole when he encountered a headwind that caused him to burn more fuel and divert to the base. Now both the Americans and the New Zealanders there are refusing to sell him fuel. Jon's story is amazing. He has flown his homebuilt RV-4 around the world three times and to the North Pole. You can read about his trips around the world here."

1 of 855 comments (clear)

  1. Re:They say they want to discourage tourism... by KrispyKringle · · Score: 0, Redundant
    You know what? I did read the article (when it was posted on Fark, prior to it being on Slashdot, actually) and, shockingly enough, I am a pilot as well. Now I'll admit, I only have my VFR certification, and it's not even current right now (my medical certification ran out a few months ago) but yeah...I think I made my point.

    I've never flown over the south pole, however, and I doubt you have. But I'm sure the bases there report on the weather just fine. I didn't see anything in the article indicating he hit a 100 knot headwind (which would likely pose some serious threats to his plane, not just his fuel reserves). The point remains. You choose to do something risky on the assumption that someone else will save your ass, you don't deserve a lot of sympathy.