reply to post by FlyInTheOintment
Not to bash, but did you read the entire Wiki section?:
And incidentally, your wiki source only detailed flights across Antarctica in the late 70's and earlier.
Referring back, and to Qantas:
Flights from Australia stopped about 1980 but resumed in 1994.
The link, there takes one to "Croydon Travel"s website, where they write:
Antarctica Sightseeing Flights is operated by Croydon Travel, in conjunction with Qantas. Croydon Travel and Qantas operated their first
Antarctica flight in 1994. Since then we have operated 87 flights over Antarctica and have taken more than 30,000 people to experience the
world's "last great wilderness".
www.antarcticaflights.com.au...
Air New Zealand DID terminate the service, after their tragic crash into a mountainside. (Mt. Erebus) in November, 1979. Air New Zealand only flew
for about two years .... looks like both airlines started roughly same time, in competition.
The routes were similar, as described here:
The DC-10 flights flew from Auckland to McMurdo Sound, with later flights flying down the middle of the sound and over Scott Base rather than over
Ross Island and near Mount Erebus.
Based just on the current map, from Croydon Travel, seems to focus mostly on the NorthEast coastal areas.
Anyway - seriously, do you know how big Antarctica is?
Yes, of course. Is why I suggested you correlate the areas that YOU have found in research, with areas that may have been on tourist routes....to see
if they are close at all, or completely unrelated. (Noting the reference above...).
Secondly, regarding the size....you must also consider the climate too. When supposing any sort of sustained complex operations that must remain (for
whatever reasons) "hidden" ....though, can't imagine why....why the digital images would be altered (because, IF it were true, well....awfully easy
for people nowadays to spot, eh?).
Seems that, much as very effective camouflage (to "hide" from direct overhead views of satellites) is used in desert environments; as simple as a
fabric netting, or even a more solid structure....it would be dead easier in an area of such little contrast, overall....being snow-covered all the
year. Depends, I assume, on snowfall amounts too...but, that would seem advantageous....
You mentioned "Speculation"...in your reply, also.
THAT is good, since it's why I pointed out the thread about Mars...and THAT member's apparent obsession with "seeing things"....because, most of those
(and at Skipper's site, too) are digital artifacts....just poor image resolution, and that is an area to explore as well. By those here on ATS who
are very expert in those fields.
edit on 18 January 2011 by weedwhacker because: (no reason given)