Antarctic Operations

Pablo Lerzo

Aeronautical Engineer (UTN) with a Master’s degree in Environmental Administration and Management, whose career spans technical maintenance, operational training, and quality management. He holds a Category “C” Aircraft Maintenance Engineer license and is EASA Part-66 compliant (CAT A, B1, B2 and C). His technical experience covers commercial aircraft (Boeing 737 NG/MAX, Airbus A320), business jets (Learjet 35/60), special-mission aircraft (Basler BT-67, Arava 102), Bell helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), complemented by operational licenses as a ramp agent, ground controller, radio operator, and pilot.

He is a leading specialist and international trainer in Cold Weather Operations (CWO) and deicing/anti-icing processes, serving as an IATA instructor (DI-40L) and technical auditor at global airports such as Charles de Gaulle (France) and Malpensa (Italy). He has designed and delivered theoretical and practical training, as well as On-the-Job Training (OJT), in accordance with FAA, EASA, and SAE regulations on aerodynamic contamination, Type I/IV fluids, and winter risk management.

He has led technical training for operational and ramp personnel at top-tier companies and institutions such as LATAM Airlines, Flybondi, the Argentine Air Force, Intercargo, and My Air Services FBO. In addition, he holds the International Engineering Educator (IGIP - Austria) certification and has completed postgraduate studies in predictive maintenance (thermography and vibration analysis), establishing a professional profile that combines technical rigor with methodological excellence in operational safety.

Guillermo Sotera

Specialist in Aviation Operations and Maintenance with more than 30 years of experience in military transport aircraft and an extensive track record in Argentina’s Antarctic aviation operations. Between 1996 and 2018, he participated in the Argentine Antarctic Expeditions as part of teams responsible for the technical support and operational readiness of Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, performing maintenance tasks both on the continent and at the MARAMBIO Base.

Throughout his career, he took part in logistics missions, medical evacuations, airlifts, and resupply operations to the Antarctic bases MARAMBIO, BELGRANO II, and ORCADAS, ensuring the continuity of air operations under extreme environmental conditions.

He participated in complex recovery operations for strategic transport aircraft in Antarctica, performing major maintenance and field repairs, including engine replacement, the recovery of crashed aircraft, and the restoration of their operational capability in an extremely demanding environment. He also participated in logistical support operations through airlifts, supplying food, medicine, and critical supplies to Antarctic bases, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the expeditions and the operational safety of the air missions.

Daniel Eduardo Máspero

Bachelor’s degree in Aviation and Aerospace Systems with 20 years of experience in Antarctic aviation. He has participated in two Antarctic field seasons at MARAMBIO Station, flying a DHC-6 Twin Otter equipped with both wheels and skis.

He conducted logistical, exploratory, and scientific flights between Antarctic bases (TEN. MARSH, CARLINI, ESPERANZA, MATIENZO, GURRUCHAGA Camp) and operated in the following flight sectors: WEDDEL SEA (LARSEN ICE SHELF), BELLINGSHOUSEN SEA, LA FLOTA SEA, LEVINSGTON ISLANDS, JOINVILLE, DUNDEE, ROSS, and VEGA, PRINCE GUSTAVO CHANNEL, SCOTT BAY (JASON), PRIMAVERA, BROWN, and PETREL Bases.

For 16 years, he conducted logistics and aeromedical flights to the MARAMBIO and TEN. MARSH bases in a C-130 HERCULES aircraft, as well as airdrops of cargo to the BELGRANO II (Antarctic Circle) and ORCADAS DEL SUR (Laurie Island) bases.

Enrique Arnut Matus

Attorney (University of Buenos Aires), specializing in criminal law with extensive experience in public, aviation, and Administrative law. He served in the Argentine Air Force in legal and special operations roles, an experience that allowed him to gain specific knowledge of the operational and regulatory aspects of Antarctic expeditions.

He participated in activities carried out in Argentine Antarctica during 2012, gaining firsthand experience with the operational, logistical, and legal particularities specific to the Antarctic continent. He provides legal counsel on public international law, the Antarctic Treaty System, the Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection, regulations governing scientific, logistical, and aeronautical activities in Antarctica, liability regimes, contracts, and regulatory aspects related to national and international operations on the white continent.

His work focuses on analyzing the international instruments that regulate Antarctic activities, interpreting the Antarctic Treaty and its supplementary agreements, providing legal counsel for scientific, logistical, and aeronautical projects, and applying Argentine and international regulations within the framework of Antarctic operations. This advisory work is carried out in coordination with specialists in aviation operations, meteorology, medicine, and logistics, as part of a comprehensive approach to Antarctic activities.

Giuliana Velo

Physician and Resident in Traumatology and Orthopedics, with experience in the comprehensive management of trauma patients in both hospital settings and high-complexity operational environments.

She served as Head of the Medical Section at the Joint Antarctic Base SAN MARTIN during the 2023–2024 Winter Antarctic Campaign, leading medical care in a context of geographic isolation, limited resources, and critical decision-making.

She has experience in medical evacuations and specialized training in Aeromedical Evacuation. Her expertise includes emergency medicine, pre-hospital care, logistical coordination, and interdisciplinary teamwork.

Pablo Waldemar Cerutti

Meteorological Technician and Aviation Meteorologist, specializing in meteorological consulting for Antarctic and Polar Air Operations.

He has more than 22 years of experience as a forecaster for logistics flights and special flights over the Drake Passage and mainland and island Antarctica. He participated in four Antarctic expeditions as Head of the Meteorological Center at MARAMBIO Station.

Oscar Guillermo Arias

Experienced loadmaster with extensive flight experience on transport aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and C-130 Hercules. He has logged approximately 7,800 flight hours on the C-130 Hercules, of which about 3,000 flight hours were spent on Antarctic operations.

Highlights of his experience include airlift operations delivering containers to Belgrano II Base within the Antarctic Circle and to San Martín Base. Logistics flights to MARAMBIO and TEN. MARSH Bases.

He participated in two deployments as a member of the cargo terminal and ground support crew for aircraft at MARAMBIO Base. He specializes in the preparation and transport of general, special, and hazardous cargo, as well as operating flight support vehicles (forklifts).

Roxana Estela Taier

Renewable Natural Resources Engineer and Specialist in Sanitary Engineering, with postgraduate training in Water and Wastewater Treatment, Sustainable Development, and Environmental Remediation.

She has extensive professional experience in environmental management, water and sanitation services, water quality, environmental monitoring, remediation, and waste management, combining technical, operational, institutional, and managerial expertise.

Her professional profile is distinguished by her ability to work in complex systems and environmentally sensitive areas, particularly in the sub-Antarctic region, integrating engineering criteria, environmental management, regulatory compliance, and technical decision-making.

Within the public sector, she has held senior management positions at the Provincial Directorate of Public Works and Sanitation Services of Tierra del Fuego and at the Provincial Secretariat for the Environment, leading projects related to sanitation, wastewater treatment, water resources protection, municipal and hazardous waste management, and environmental remediation.

Her experience working at the Ushuaia Global Atmosphere Watch Station, Argentina, within the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme, together with her work at CADIC-CONICET, further strengthens her professional background in environmental monitoring, applied research, and the assessment of environmental issues at both regional and global scales.