ANI owns a fleet of tractors, groomers and snow clearing equipment that perform a range of hauling and maintenance tasks at Union Glacier and in the field. These are used with sleds and cranes to move large volumes of cargo.
Prinoth BR-350 Snow Groomers
ANI owns two Prinoth BR-350 snow groomers which are used for overland tractor-train traverses including science support, private expeditions and ANI fuel caching. At Union Glacier the groomers assist with unloading and loading the Ilyushin aircraft and hauling cargo to and from the ice runway. Grooming blades are used to level tent platforms and walkways in camp, to maintain a network of safe vehicle travel routes from camp to nearby destinations, and to prepare the marathon running track.
Tucker Sno-Cat and Skiway Groomer
The Tucker Sno-Cat is primarily used for skiway grooming. The Mogul-Master groomer creates a smooth, sastrugi-free skiway for our ski aircraft. The heated cab of the Tucker is also useful for transporting "Do Not Freeze" items such as fresh fruits and vegetables from the Ilyushin aircraft to camp.
Ice Runway Snow Clearing Equipment
The ice runway must remain snow-free in order for wheeled aircraft to land. ANI uses a combination of snow blowing, snow plowing and brushing to maintain optimum conditions. We own two snow blowers, a Wasau LR-44 snow blower mounted on a Caterpillar 950H wheeled loader, as well as a Canadian manufactured RPM Tech snow blower mounted on a Ford truck. The Ford truck can also be attached to a Wasau airport runway snow plow for high speed plowing. For smaller clean-up work we also have a mechanically powered runway brush and snow blower mounted on a small Trackless snow blower.
Hammar Lift, Ilyushin Crane and Cargo Sleds
Our ability to move and lift large volumes of heavy cargo, both at Union Glacier and in the deep-field, is an essential component of our logistic capability. Onboard cranes, which are a standard item on Iyushin 76 aircraft, and our sled-mounted Hammar Lift side loader easily lift items up to 22,000 lb (10,000kg). Our large capacity cargo sleds allow us to move large volumes of heavy cargo efficiently, both at Union Glacier and in the deep-field, whether it be passenger luggage, camp supplies or fuel drums.
