Pilot

British Antarctic Survey
Contract type Open-Ended Appointment
Location Cambridge
Salary £37,614 - £69,727 per annum
Closing date 24th October 2026 23:55
Interview date 19th and 20th November 2026

Overview

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is a world-leading centre for polar science and polar operations, addressing issues of global importance and helping society adapt to a changing world. The BAS Air Unit sits within the Polar Operations and Engineering directorate, who provide operational support for UK polar research. The operations team cover a wide range of activities from managing Arctic and Antarctic Research stations, operating polar ships and aircraft. Our expertise is in polar fieldwork planning, aircraft and ship operations as well as developing engineering and technology solutions for science.

The Air Unit therefore requires exceptional pilots to work within a small team, flying DeHavilland Twin Otters in Antarctica and supporting science campaigns around the world. The right candidates are not just pilots, but people who would thrive working in diverse teams supporting the delivery of complex operations safely in some of the most extreme and challenging environments on Earth.

The role of an Air Unit pilot, supporting science in both Antarctica and across the world, involves considerable autonomy and a high level of leadership to ensure safe delivery. It is a physically and mentally demanding role, often working long hours and enduring unexpected nights camped out with the aircraft in field conditions.

The flying is very varied, dynamic and involves being deployed to Rothera, our Antarctic, base for periods of up to 6 months, between October and February each year. Our flying is predominantly orientated around delivering cargo and passengers into remote locations, where loading and unloading the aircraft is a manual activity, led by and involving the pilot. In addition, with a network of scientific instruments and fuel depots spread over western Antarctica, there is a considerable flying program to service these each year; often involving many hours of digging out fuel drums and instruments to raise them back to the surface after winter snow. Key to our success is maintaining operational professionalism and continued innovation in everything we do.

Our aircraft are maintained in Calgary in Canada, where we also undertake training flying and spend time in the DeHavilland Canada simulators. With Antarctic deployments and summer science campaigns, like the one we undertook in Brazil in 2025, it is not unusual for pilots to spend up to 8 months of the year outside of the UK; BAS Air Unit pilots are contracted for 221 working days and 144 days leave per annum.

Applicants must be mentally and physically robust with an inherent strong sense of adventure. For more information about the pilot role and living and working in Antarctica, please view the following resources:

• https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-capabilities/

• LinkedIn – Air Unit

Purpose

British Antarctic Survey (BAS) pilots are responsible to the Chief Pilot for the safe and efficient operation of BAS aircraft, as laid out in the Air Operations Manual and relevant Airworthiness Authority Regulations. The responsibility will include:

• Implementation of the BAS Flying Programme, as directed by the Air Unit Management

• Ensuring all objectives are achieved in a safe and efficient manner

• Ensuring that the wider goals of the BAS and its collaborators are met

Primary duties include flying and non-flying tasks, where pilots must be able to adapt to their surroundings and always display excellent leadership qualities. Pilots are expected to take a pro-active approach to all tasks and display initiative and good situational awareness, particularly when operating in remote environments. When deployed to Rothera, the non-flying tasks will involve time spent not only undertaking aviation operations support activity in the Air Unit Hangar, but also wider activity which collective supports the deployed community.

Duties

Key duties and responsibilities include:

• Safe and efficient operation of the aircraft at all times

• For flight operations the pilot will ensure all safety and operational procedures are implemented in accordance with the BAS Air Operations Manual and all current/relevant airworthiness authority regulations

• The pilot will report progress, deficiencies and faults related to aircraft and flight operations to the Chief Pilot/Deputy Chief Pilot

• To keep current necessary licenses and approvals to fly BAS aircraft and to fly both within Antarctica and elsewhere on all assigned operational, flight testing and training missions

• To show due regard for co-workers and an appreciation of the close surrounding in which most of the working and off–duty time is spent when detached to remote locations

• To undertake other appropriate duties required by deployed Station or Line Management

Time apportioned to these duties should reflect their priority. The following is representative guide to the key work areas:

Flying 50%

• Operational/Training Duties 30%

• Secondary/Administrative Duties 10%

• General Duties 10%

It is expected that the time apportionment will vary from year to year, to accommodate changing internal and external demands. However, some of the apportionment should be predictable and will be communicated during the annual pilot performance appraisal.

BAS chooses to apply commercial operational restrictions with respect to pilot’s age. Therefore, we do not undertake single pilot operations with passengers after the age of 60. The retirement age is 65. Roles applicable within this restriction (as defined in the Air Operations Manual Part A) include:

• Single pilot non-operational flights

• Multi-pilot operational and non-operational flights

• Simulator and ground training instructing roles (where appropriate)

Additional administrative tasking should be expected in addition to flying tasks. There would not be an expectation of transferring to a solely office-based role, or undertaking tasks not appropriate to the skills and experience associated with the role of a pilot.

Skills, Qualifications, and Experience

Essential

• UK CAA Part – FCL ATPL or ATPL (A) MCC Course (Multi-crew Co-operation) or equivalent ICAO license and qualifications, will be considered on case by case based on relevant experience.

• Accrued 2,500 flying hrs.

• Experience of both multi-crew and single operations.

• Able to identify hazards, dynamically assess and manage risk in rapidly changing situations, applying appropriate mitigations and safe systems of work.

• Effective communicator, both in person and across remote networks.

• Strong leadership skills, as well as the ability to switch to be a good follower when directed by others with more knowledge of the situation or environment; leading as part of a small remote team for extended periods of time.

• Able to make decisions in conjunction with other members of staff (both on site and remote) and autonomously as required; an understanding of group dynamics and conflict resolution.

Desirable

• Twin Otter Type Rating

• Accrued 1,500 hrs in command

• Experience working autonomously in remote environments; including responding to incidents and developing contingency plans in remote environments

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment. As this role requires mandatory deployment to Antarctica, any offer of employment that is made is subject to passing a BASMU Medical

For this role, the only potential for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker VISA is where an individual currently holds a Skilled Worker visa issued for another role/employer before 4 April 2024 (salary of at least: £63,246).