Honda aids advance in Antarctic
27 Nov 2006
Few of us can imagine what life must be like living and working in the Antarctic but that's exactly what the members of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) do and it's Honda they rely on to make sure their working day runs as smoothly as possible.
The Antarctic operations and science programmes run from a series of research stations that are small, self-contained communities with satellite links to the outside world where science and monitoring studies are carried out. Living and working in a remote environment such as Antarctica demands careful planning, specialist equipment and well-trained personnel. If you thought your daily commute to work and back was a challenge, think again. In Antarctica, they face staggering temperatures as low as -55°C and terrain that few cars can contend with. To overcome these constraints, their journey to work depends on Honda’s All Terrain Vehicles. More commonly seen around farms, country estates and construction sites, the BAS team makes use of a fleet of sturdy Honda Foreman ATVs which enable easy manoeuvrability over the snow and ice, as well as exceptional fuel efficiency.
The majority of the Honda Foreman ATVs that make up the BAS fleet run as delivered from the UK, with no modifications, demonstrating the model’s exceptional dexterity across numerous and diverse terrains including those of this remote and desolate area of the world. Used for low impact traversing to and from ‘the office’, the machines are an integral part of everyday life and have become the general workhorse that makes everyday jobs simpler and safer to perform.
As well as the standard fleet, two additional Honda Foremans have been modified in preparation for the new Halley VI Research Station that plans to be fully operational by 2011. Shipped from the UK, these custom models use special track systems attached to the standard Honda machine, allowing the team to cross terrain usually restricted to the more specialised ‘ski’ bikes.
Martin Bell, Deputy Project Manager in charge of logistics
"We’ve found Honda ATVs well made and reliable for the Antarctic environment. The addition of the modified models this year is fantastic. Not only can they cross the same terrain as the ski bikes, but they do it with the improved control, increased reliability and more efficient handling of a Honda ATV."
In addition to the fleet of Honda ATVs, the British Antarctic Survey rely on Honda generators and over 40 small Honda GX engine powered appliances which are used either around the stations by maintenance crew or in deep field supporting science campaigns.
Martin Bell, Deputy Project Manager in charge of logistics
"When you’re working in conditions as harsh as the Antarctic, it’s critical you can rely on your equipment which is why we use Honda GX160 engines. Used in numerous vital pieces of equipment as diverse as water pumps and aircraft refuelling stations, it’s a very well proven engine we know we can trust."
The British Antarctic Survey is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council. Based in Cambridge UK, it has, for almost 60 years, undertaken the majority of Britain's scientific research on and around the Antarctic continent. For more information on their research projects, see www.antarctica.ac.uk. For more information on all Honda products, see www.honda.co.uk.
