The Helicopter Mountains () are a series of rugged mountains west of Mount Mahony in the

Saint Johns Range Saint Johns Range () is a crescent-shaped mountain range about long, in Victoria Land, Antarctica. It is bounded on the north by the Cotton Glacier, Miller Glacier and Debenham Glacier, and on the south by Victoria Valley and the Victoria Upper G ...

, Antarctica. They rise to at Mount James and include also from west to east Touchstone Crag, Mick Peak and Hott Peak. The mountains form the northwest end of the Saint Johns Range.

Name

The Helicopter Mountains were so named by the

Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (ACAN or US-ACAN) is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending commemorative names for features in Antarctica. History The committee was established ...

in 2007 in recognition of the wide use of helicopters in supporting the

U.S. Antarctic Program The United States Antarctic Program (or USAP; formerly known as the United States Antarctic Research Program or USARP and the United States Antarctic Service or USAS) is an organization of the United States government which has a presence in the ...

McMurdo Sound The McMurdo Sound is a sound in Antarctica, known as the southernmost passable body of water in the world, located approximately from the South Pole. Captain James Clark Ross discovered the sound in February 1841 and named it after Lieutenant ...

and the

McMurdo Dry Valleys The McMurdo Dry Valleys are a row of largely Antarctic oasis, snow-free valleys in Antarctica, located within Victoria Land west of McMurdo Sound. The Dry Valleys experience extremely low humidity and surrounding mountains prevent the flow of ...

. Peaks in the mountains have been named after personnel in the helicopter group.

Features

Touchstone Crag

. A rugged mountain high, west of Mick Peak in the west part of Helicopter Mountains. The abrupt south-facing cliffs of the feature also mark the northwest extremity of Saint Johns Range. Named by US-ACAN (2007) after Steven Touchstone, helicopter mechanic in support of the

United States Antarctic Program The United States Antarctic Program (or USAP; formerly known as the United States Antarctic Research Program or USARP and the United States Antarctic Service or USAS) is an organization of the United States government which has a presence in the ...

and

in nine austral field seasons 1999-2000 to 2007-08.

Mick Peak

. A peak about high, west-northwest of Mount James in Helicopter Mountains. Named by US-ACAN (2007) after Robert Franz Mick, helicopter mechanic in support of the United States Antarctic Program at McMurdo Sound and McMurdo Dry Valleys in eight austral field seasons 2000-01 to 2007-08.

Mount James

. The highest mountain in Helicopter Mountains, Saint Johns Range, rising to between Mick Peak and Hott Peak. Named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (2007) after Barry Wendell James, helicopter pilot in support of the United States Antarctic Program at McMurdo Sound and McMurdo Dry Valleys in 10 austral field seasons 1998-99 to 2007-08.

Hott Peak

. A steep ridgelike mountain with a sharp peak rising to between Mount James and Mount Mahony in east Helicopter Mountains. Named by US-ACAN (2007) after Ronald Dale Hott, helicopter mechanic in support of the United States Antarctic Program at McMurdo Sound and McMurdo Dry Valleys in 10 austral field seasons 1998-99 to 2007-08.

References

Sources

* * * * * {{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Mountain ranges of Victoria Land