The WAIS Divide crew has arrived in Antarctica! Yesterday, after an early wake-up call at 5:00 a.m. we headed off to the airport to catch our flight. To our surprise, we headed south on an Airbus. This was a special treat because we normally fly down on LOUD, windowless C-17 airplanes. On the Airbus we had business class seats (particularly nice when you are all bundled up in your Antarctic cold weather gear), an in-flight beverage service AND a TV showing our flight path and progress. These are all luxuries that are unheard of on a C-17. Despite the luxury of the Airbus, I am glad I had an opportunity to fly down in a C-17 last year. My guess is that the trip home won't be as nice-we'll probably catch a ride north on a C-17 at the end of the field season in February. However, I will certainly keep my fingers crossed for another trip on an Airbus in February.
All in all, I loved the big seats but the windows were the real highlight. Enjoy these photos taken from the Airbus as we flew towards McMurdo Station. The views were truly awesome.
Who knew the flight path videos also had maps of Antarctica!
The first sight of land as we flew towards McMurdo.
Ice ice everywhere!
Sea ice in the Ross Sea
The fabulous view of Mt. Erebus and the Ross Sea as we headed into McMurdo