This New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules is on a mercy mission.
It's taking pumping equipment and fuel to a Russian fishing vessel stranded in Antarctica with a hole in its hull after hitting ice.
SOUNDBITE: New Zealand Air Force Captain James Anderson saying (English):
"I'm going to drop two loads. One's going to be a load of diesel for their water pump, and then the second load is going to be a water pump to vacate water from their vessel."
The Sparta sent out a distress call on Friday after tearing a 30 centimetre hole in its side.
Most of the ship's 32 crew are sheltering in lifeboats beside it.
New Zealand rescue co-ordinators say there's a skeleton crew still on board pumping out water and trying to patch up the damage.
SOUNDBITE: Geoff Lunt, New Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre, saying (English):
"They've stopped the water altogether. They're continuing to work on the hull, to patch it up, to make it more stable until further assistance can arrive."
The Hercules' cargo is too heavy for flotation devices.
It'll have to drop its load on the ice before heading to McMurdo Station to refuel for the seven hour journey back to New Zealand.
Paul Chapman, Reuters
