Brian,
This is absolutely fantastic! It's definitely a contender for best WHIF of 2018! (and I don't just mean "so far")!!
Interesting backstory. In the early-90s when I was flying B-52s, our unit considered a similar record attempt. It was a challenge because of setting up air refueling from bases where we don't normally have tankers (e.g., Santiago, Chile); but the biggest technical challenge was oil consumption. The 50+ hour flight would have used oil to the point of being right at the edge of safe. In the end, it was a political difficulty that killed the plan - the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any "militarization" of the Antarctic continent. Air Combat Command determined that our simple overflight with politically sensitive nuclear bombers would draw too much negative attention, and so they denied permission. Still, it was an interesting exercise in mission planning. Had we known the Petulant Penguin did it already, we wouldn't have bothered!