A flight to the Antarctic from the 'gateway' at Christchurch is quite different from any flight elsewhere in the world. Firstly, it is different in that nearly all of the flight occurs over water, therefore there is no option for an emergency landing between Christchurch and Antarctica. Secondly, the weather in Antarctica is likely to be more adverse and more severe than any other continent in the world. Thirdly, the availability of alternative landing sites is likely to be more limited than in most other regions. Fourthly, most of the aircraft used can not carry enough fuel to return from Antarctica without landing, therefore once past the point of safe return (PSR), an aircraft must land on the continent. Together, these factors require than an Antarctic flight have particularly tight forward planning to Succeed safely. One of the major considerations for southbound flights is of the forecast weather conditions for the estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the runways of McMurdo Sound (see Figures I and 2). The principal purpose of the United States Antarctic Program's (USAP) McMurdo Weather Program is to provide support to aviation activity in the region. This team of observers and forecasters provide advice to pilots prior to take off in Christchurch and throughout the flight, about the conditions at the various airfields. The pilot must make a decision about whether to take off (or, if already in flight and before the PSR, whether to turn around) based on these forecasts. These decisions impact of the safety of the passengers, the efficiency and costs to the respective national Antarctic programs, and also on the ability for the programs to carry out research in Antarctica. A flight to the Antarctic from the 'gateway' at Christchurch is quite different from any flight elsewhere in the world. Firstly, it is different in that nearly all of the flight occurs over water, therefore there is no option for an emergency landing between Christchurch and Antarctica. Secondly, the weather in Antarctica is likely to be more adverse and more severe than any other continent in the world. Thirdly, the availability of alternative landing sites is likely to be more limited than in most other regions. Fourthly, most of the aircraft used can not carry enough fuel to return from Antarctica without landing, therefore once past the point of safe return (PSR), an aircraft must land on the continent. Together, these factors require than an Antarctic flight have particularly tight forward planning to Succeed safely. One of the major considerations for southbound flights is of the forecast weather conditions for the estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the runways of McMurdo Sound (see Figures I and 2). The principal purpose of the United States Antarctic Program's (USAP) McMurdo Weather Program is to provide support to aviation activity in the region. This team of observers and forecasters provide advice to pilots prior to take off in Christchurch and throughout the flight, about the conditions at the various airfields. The pilot must make a decision about whether to take off (or, if already in flight and before the PSR, whether to turn around) based on these forecasts. These decisions impact of the safety of the passengers, the efficiency and costs to the respective national Antarctic programs, and also on the ability for the programs to carry out research in Antarctica.