Stand by to Stand by
26 Oct 2016
I was told to expect this phase of the journey to change frequently. Yesterday, we went over tot he headquarters of USAP for our Extreme Cold Weather gear (ECW) issue. We then went back to the hotel, expecting a 05:45 shuttle this morning that would take us to the plane for a 06:30 check-in. However, that was all canceled with a 04:45 phone call, so I'm now sitting through a 24-hour weather delay. We'll try again tomorrow morning around 6ish. I expect this to happen a few more times, both here and in McMurdo.
Until then, here's some pictures:
Here's the entryway to USAP's terminal. If you're ever in Christchurch, there's an Antarctic Experience tourist destination. The USAP HQ is right behind that building. We spent about 3 hours here yesterday having our computers' anti-virus settings verified, trying on our ECW, and getting some safety briefs about life on the Ice.
Here's a wall display of one set of ECW gear. I was issued more or less all of this for my year on Ice. Starting from the left, we have our parka (known as "Big Red", which is an awesome name for pretty much anything). There are two models of bibs, we take the version we prefer, a lighter carhartt jacket for summer wear, and a fleece jacket and pants. We also get a small fleece hat, a fleece balaclava, a fleece neck gaiter, gloves, mittens, bigger mittens, and boots (only one pair. Here you see the three models that are available). The red jacket on the right (known as "little red") is too light for pole.
All of that fits surprisingly well into two orange bags:
When we first arrive at CDC, everything is packed away much like you see here. We then open it up and try everything on, exchanging anything that doesn't fit. We then pack it all back up, and leave it like this to be loaded on a pallet whenever our flight goes.
As I am also a gawking tourist, the staff let me into the general distribution center to get some behind the scenes shots:
And there is the first answer to the question, "What do you pack for Antarctica?"
Question. When you got the 4:45 phone call to cancel the 6:30 flight/check-in, how come the next possible time to fly was 24 hours later (and not sooner)? I realize it was a weather delay. Was the forecast that the bad weather would last about 24 hours? Or do flights only make the attempts during the wee hours of the morning? Do planes go at like 2pm?
ReplyDeleteA fair question, but I don't really know the answer. Delays are caused by weather and/or mechanical issues, and the pilots are limited in the amount of time per day they can fly. So if the weather won't clear for 5 hours, or the mechanical delay will take ~5 hours to fix, then the 5-6 hour flight could put the pilots past their allowable flight time window for the day. Both my flights from CHC to MCM were scheduled for the morning, I don't know if there are afternoon flights. Today we're scheduled to have 4 flights land at pole, at 0900, 1000, 2100, and 2200. Only time will tell if that's actually what happens.
ReplyDeleteFrom a mere polie perspective, all I know is flights are often cancelled, and what shows on the schedule is rarely what actually happens.