Kenn Borek Air’s South Pole Rescue Team - 2017 National Air and Space Museum Trophy Winner 

The National Air and Space Museum's 2017 Trophy Award Winner for Current Achievement goes to Kenn Borek Air’s South Pole Rescue Team.
Kenn Borek Air’s South Pole Rescue Team successfully rescued two ill researchers from the National Science Foundation’s Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. In June 2016, chief pilot Wallace “Wally” Dobchuk, first officer Sebastian Trudel, aircraft maintenance engineer Michael McCrae, Capt. James Haffey, first officer Lindsay Owen, aircraft maintenance engineer Gerald Cirtwill and medics Thai Verzone and John Loomis made the rescue during the Antarctic winter, a flight only accomplished twice before, both by Kenn Borek Air. The mission presented numerous challenges such as the -75 degrees F temperature, complete darkness for 24 hours a day and equipping their Twin Otter aircraft for the 1,500-mile trip (its usual range is 800 miles). Through precise planning and execution, the rescue team overcame the many obstacles and successfully flew the ill researchers to a hospital in Chile where they received the treatment they desperately needed.