Sky Blu | |
|---|---|
Logistics and air facility | |
 Sky Blu Melon hut and ancillary facilities, taken on approach to the runway. The hut and facilities are located about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from the runway, pictured top left. | |
  Sky Blu Location of Sky Blu in Antarctica | |
| Coordinates: 74°51′23″S 71°35′13″W / 74.856344°S 71.586822°W | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Location in Antarctica | Palmer Land Antarctica |
| Administered by | British Antarctic Survey |
| Established | c. 1997 |
| Elevation | 4,708 ft (1,435 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total |
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| Time zone | UTC-3 (FKST) |
| Type | Seasonal |
| Period | Summer |
| Status | Operational |
| Facilities |
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| Website | www.antarctica.ac.uk |
Sky Blu is a forward operating station for the British Antarctic Survey located in southern Palmer Land, Antarctica. It is in an area of blue ice, an extremely hard and dense ice which has lost the air bubbles that normally cloud the ice. It provides a runway able to accommodate wheeled aircraft that are larger than can be handled by other types of runways in the area.
The facility is used to store fuel drums and field equipment for onward transport by the Twin Otter aircraft. The camp is staffed by a minimum of 2, but usually 3 people, including a mechanic. Staff eat and sleep in a Melon hut, but there is also a garage and other tents.