Here's what it's like being a helicopter pilot in Antarctica. Deep-pocketed tourists pay up to $26K for the experience.

• Jonathan Mutch is a helicopter pilot in Antarctica with the tour company Quark Expeditions.
• Flightseeing is included in select Antarctic itineraries, which cost up to $26,000 per person.
• Only highly experienced pilots are hired, and a team of at least 13 people is needed to run flights.

Quark Expeditions helicopter pilot Jonathan Mutch is working his third season in Antarctica, flying high-paying tourists to some of the planet's remotest places.

Mutch told Business Insider that flying helicopters across the seventh continent is no easy feat.

It takes a team of pilots, flight engineers, mountain guides, and expedition leaders to run the operation safely. Quark says it has strict environmental parameters to avoid affecting wildlife.

"It's a lot more complicated than it looks," Mutch said. "We'll start with a study of our maps and charts and previous experience with the weather, and we'll brief over the preceding days."

He said that because Antarctic weather can be harsh and unpredictable, guests must have realistic and flexible expectations.

Helicopter flightseeing excursions are included in all Antarctic itineraries on the Ultramarine, the luxury vessel where Quark guests live during their voyage and where the helicopters take off and land.

Mutch said Quark prioritizes getting everybody a 15-minute flightseeing trip, followed by potential landings.

Pricing for the 2025-2026 season starts at about $14,000 per person and includes flightseeing, meals, housing, and other activities. Helicopter landings are $530 extra.

Deep-pocketed tourists can also pay up to $26,000 per person for a more helicopter-focused tour that includes landing near an Emperor penguin colony.

Helicopter travel is different in Antarctica

Mutch said Quark has two Airbus-made H145 helicopters, which are fitted with safety technology to operate in the polar south, such as a redundant two engines and advanced autopilot.

The helicopters are stored and maintained in hangars on top of the ship. Here, guests board and disembark, the aircraft are refueled between trips, and the crew plans flights.

Mutch said both helicopters are needed to prep the landing sites before taking passengers. Pilots and engineers ensure things like lighting and recirculating snow won't impact safety or vision.

Veteran expedition leader Jake Morrison told BI that a flightseeing operation requires at least 13 employees, or 20 or more for ice landings.

Experienced mountain guides test the landing ice thickness and ensure the sites are safe for walking and void of crevasses.

"We won't get airborne if the experience is going to be lackluster or if there's any risk of leaving anybody out there," Mutch said. He added that Quark operates to the same standards as airlines, and the ships' crew will always follow the helicopter's location.

Mutch said Quark pilots are trained beyond minimum standards, including twice a year in a flight simulator, and have a background in complicated flying.

"We'll put the aircraft into white-out conditions and test the pilots' decision-making," Mutch said, speaking about the simulator training. "We want guys who are not going to be too proud [that causes them] to push on and make mistakes."

Environmental considerations

Antarctic conservation is a hot topic as a record-breaking number of tourists visit the continent. Ice levels are decreasing, and wildlife is at risk for pollutants from ships, aircraft, and humans.

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators tries to curb environmental risks by limiting the number of people on the continent at once, governing what tourists can and cannot bring on the ice, and more.

Flying carbon-emitting helicopters across Antarctica will impact the environment, but Quark said it does what it can to minimize its footprint.

Morisson said the H145 helicopters are more fuel-efficient and quieter than similar aircraft in its category.

Mutch said flightseeing tours are intended to show the landscape, so pilots will not fly within a mile of wildlife. The flight-following crew on the ship helps maintain distance.

For Emperor penguin landings, he said there is typically an iceberg between the birds and humans — so Quark guests are "virtually inaudible and invisible."

"The last thing we want to do is change the behavior of any wildlife or interact in any way with the wildlife down here, whether it be penguins, seals, sea birds, or whales," Mutch said. "We explain this to passengers when we board."

Guests should have realistic expectations

Weather will determine if a flight can safely operate, so there are some days when a tour is scheduled but cannot fly — meaning guests must prepare for uncertainty and possible disappointment.

It's easy to get frustrated considering the high cost of the tour, but that's the reality of flying in the polar south.

"We're quite conservative about when we fly, but we'd ideally want a blue-sky day," he said, adding the company completes an average of 200 flights per season. "We'd like to fly three or perhaps four times per trip, but it's really what the weather will allow us."

Most people do get the chance to fly over Antarctica, thanks to the long itineraries and various options of places to fly.

The single-pilot flightseeing tours carry up to six passengers, with everyone getting a window seat. To optimize capacity, landings will carry up to nine, as prime seating is unnecessary.

"There's Fournier Bay on Anvers Island, an amphitheater of steep ice cliffs … and if we can get above the ridge, you can see up to 100 miles of the Antarctic Peninsula on a clear day," Mutch said, speaking about his favorite sites. "It's not unusual to have guests welling up, overwhelmed with emotion."