An Antarctic Aviation Adventure comes to The Perse Engineering Club

The Perse Engineering Club recently welcomed “Captain Tim”, a test pilot who shared fascinating stories from his work in Antarctica. His talk, combined with a live call to a research base and a hands-on ice core experience, gave students a memorable glimpse into life and engineering at the South Pole.

Captain Tim explained how his role involves flying experimental aircraft and supporting the British Antarctic Survey by transporting scientists and essential supplies. Through a mix of photos and stories, he brought his experiences to life, describing the difficulty of navigating vast, featureless landscapes of ice and snow. He spoke about how pilots identify safe places to land without traditional runways, and how even routine tasks such as finding fuel can become surprisingly complicated when barrels end up buried deep beneath the snow.

One of the standout moments of the session was a live video call to an Antarctic research base. Students were able to ask questions directly to two engineers working there, who shared what day to day life is really like. They talked about maintaining equipment in extreme cold, coping with long periods of darkness, and how basics such as internet access and food supplies are managed so far from home. It was a rare opportunity to hear first hand about working in such a remote and challenging location.

Towards the end of the talk, Captain Tim passed around samples from an Antarctic ice core. These pieces of ice, around 10,000 years old, sparked a lot of interest. As they warmed slightly, students could hear faint crackling sounds caused by ancient air bubbles escaping. This was air that has remained trapped since long before modern pollution. It was a simple but striking way to connect with the past.

The talk was both informative and inspiring, and it was clear how passionate Captain Tim is about his work. We are very grateful to him for sharing his experiences and giving students a fresh perspective on how engineering and aviation skills can be used in such unusual and demanding environments.