Operation
8m of Arctic Ocean.
The project was about the recovery of the truck and shipping it south on sealift retrograde. A small team including two experienced arctic drivers would float the truck using air bags and secure it on the island. At the appropriate time the truck would be slung load to Taloyoak using a Super Puma helicopter, then be shipped south on the next available sealift vessel where it will be delivered to Montreal.
to a sudden stop
- Torfi Birkir JohannssonI realized very quickly what was happening, I tried to give it gas to speed up but nothing happened, I quickly went for the radio and yelled “við erum að fara niður” (we are going down) and instructed Brandon to “open door – open door”, I tried to open my door but the car was leaning to my side and the door would not open, Brandon got out and I followed out through the passenger door.
I suspected quickly that it is deep water under and we will be losing the car, my thinking went “what do we need most before we lose it”. I evaluated if I should go back into the car get a few cloths there, my phone, my computers etc. but decided to jump on the roof rack and get the extra heavy clothing all four of us had stored on this car.
I managed to free two straps and the four bags, my thinking was we would need this especially if the other car would also go down and jumped off to bring these bags to safer ice.
We needed to add a larger body vehicle than the Hilux to our polar vehicle fleet, but keep the vehicle as close as possible in the same weight range. When the F-150 with both alloy body and optional diesel engine, it came into a weight range we are looking for and a viable option for use in Antarctica running it on JET 1A fuel.
With great options for gasoline engines, hybrid and expected electric, this vehicle offers great options for the Arctic and our AT44 can be built on number of model options and factory specifications. With these vehicles to be used in variety of conditions and for variety of usage in challenging conditions our small production volume offers some flexibility to meet specific requirement.
AS 332L/L1 Super Puma
Number in fleet: 10
Passenger seating: 18 Airline Seating with Two Pilots
Passenger seating: 22 Crew Utility Seating (Firefighters) Two Pilots
Average Cruise Speed: 270 km/h
Fuel Consumption: 650 L/hr
Max Range: 851 km
Maximum External Sling Load: 10,000* lbs
Belly Tank / Water Bucket: 4000 L
Medivac capable: Yes
IFR Operations: Yes
Night Passenger Operations: Yes
Night Sling Operations: Yes
Two Pilot Operations: Yes
HUMS Capable: Yes
HFDM Capable: Yes
Нашей целью было добавить к полярному автопарку более крупный кузов, чем Hilux, но сделать этот автомобиль в том же весовом диапазоне. F-150 представлен как с корпусом из сплава, так и с опциональным дизельным двигателем, он попал в необходимый для нас весовой диапазон, и стал подходящим вариантом для использования в Антарктиде, работая на топливе JET 1A.
Представленный с различными вариантами бензиновых двигателей, гибридных и, как ожидается, электрических, этот автомобиль является отличным транстпортным средством для Арктики, и наш AT44 может быть построен на нескольких вариантах модели и заводских спецификациях. С учетом небольшого объема производства, мы можем использовать индивидуальный подход к созданию транспортных средств, которые будут использоваться в различных сложных условиях.
AS 332L/L1 Super Puma
Пассажирские места: 18 мест и 2 пилота
Пассажирские места: 22 места для экипажа (пожарных) и два пилота
Средняя крейсерская скорость: 270 км/ч
Расход топлива: 650 л/час
Максимальная дальность полета: 851 км
Максимальная внешняя нагрузка на стропу: 4500 кг
Бак для воды: 4000 Л
Возможность использования Medivac: Да
Операции с МСФО: Да
Ночные пассажирские перевозки: Да
Ночные операции с подвесками: Да
Две пилотные операции: Да
HUMS-система: Да
Поддержка HDMI: Да
Winnipeg, taking the carter flight from Yellowknife.
Short Stop at Cambridge Bay to visit the Elders
- Traveled to Churchill and overnight
- Flied to Gjoa Haven
- Deployed the recovery team to Tasmania Islands
The Transglobal Car Expedition by GoodGear.org has successfully completed the recovery operation of the Arctic Trucks AT44 F-150 vehicle lost through the ice near the Qikirtat (Tasmania) Islands, Nunavut, on 23 March 2022.
The international recovery team of highly-experienced personnel worked closely with the regional administrations and local communities, and had the benefit of four Inuit team members in the group of 12 people on the extraction crew. The team used specialized equipment and carefully planned each step until it successfully executed the lift of the vehicle on August 27, 2022.
- Emil GrimssonMy feeling of seeing the car coming back after five months of preparations and hard work on the extraction gave a sense of completion and is a testament to the ability of expert teamwork to achieve a very, very difficult task.
With all our work in Iceland and Antarctica, we always seek to respect the environment, and I’m glad we were able to do that here.
The operation started with the underwater recovery phase, where experienced cold-water divers had to carefully raise the truck off the ocean floor using airbags, then tow the vehicle, still under the surface, out of the strong current and near to the shore of the island. They then turned the vehicle upright with cables and airbags, then raised it to the surface before pulling it to shore. The vehicle was inspected on land and prepared for airlift by sling.
- Andrew Comrie-PicardThis recovery operation was never about getting a truck back. It was about doing the right thing and respecting the land.
It was very powerful to see the helicopter carry the truck over the horizon and hear the sudden silence and the water dripping off the ice floes. With one-third of our team being Inuit it was a privilege to have them with us to show us the tent circles and meat caches that went back hundreds of years, on an island that a passing boat would consider uninhabited. It is not. It is the land of their ancestors.
The Transglobal Car Expedition by GoodGear.org expresses gratitude to all the participants involved in the operation, including local communities, regional and federal authorities for ensuring safety, managing the risks, and contributing to the successful recovery operation.
