Air Iceland flies twice a week to Constable Point, the local airport. There are, however, no roads from the airport to the town, which is about 55 miles away. Who is going to pay for a road that would sporadically see traffic in a town of 550 citizens? The only way into town is by helicopter, a five passenger helicopter. With a full flight over, my trip was fifth in line. Twenty minutes each way, with time to power down and up and radio flight plans each way. When Ann had suggested I bring snacks for a possible long wait at Constable Point, I had no idea what the logistics of travel in Eastern Greenland were. It was pleasant thought, visiting with a Norwegian biologist who was on her first visit to Ittoqqortoormitt to study Narwhale and the reproductive biology of the species. Little is currently known about Narwhale, which are hunted for subsistence locally.
When my turn arrived I was able to also bring gifts from an existing scientist who had been at Kap Hoegh field camp for the last 3 weeks. Freshly caught arctic char, pepperoni, and parmesan cheese slabs were his parting tokens of friendship. The helicopter pilot, a young Norwegian flight instructor, is spending his summer at various stations three week periods across small airports throughout Greenland.
After takeoff, we proceeded at what seemed to be only about 20 ft in elevation above the bay, on a crystal clear calm afternoon. I was later told by Ann that previous pilots toured around the cape and up the coast. But my pilot, with finesse, took the direct route over the glacier that separates the Constable Point inlet with the Cap Hoegh inlet. With a huge smile on his face, the pilot maneuvered down the the beach and placed us with 10 yards of the cabin.
Glacier
We're flying over that???*
It was like I was a long lost favorite aunt, being welcomed home. The whole ”family” was lined up to greet me and help with my bags. With sunlit hills behind, glistening white sea ice dominating deep blue ocean, I felt like the table had been laid with the best china. And it is beautiful.