Three More Hours of Flying
Running on only a few hours of sleep, we again boarded an LC-130, this time en route to South Pole. I could feel the excitement radiating from everyone on board. Only three hours stood between us and The Pole!
This flight was much more exciting than the first as we were flying over Antarctica. The views out the windows were spectacular.
The Transantarctic Mountains as seen through the window of an LC-130.
Another view of the Transantarctic Mountains with the jet of the LC-130 visible in the upper-left.
An aerial view of the Antarctic landscape, as seen from the LC-130 window.
I used to think Antarctica was a flat plane of ice, but the reality is quite the opposite. Under that ice are mountains, specifically the Transantarctic Mountains that separate the East Antarctic Ice Shelf from the West Antarctic Ice Shelf.
I was honored to be invited up to the cockpit to soak in the view.
It's pretty special to be invited up to the cockpit of the LC-130. In the back, there are only a few windows, whereas up here you have a much better view! Five pilots say up front in this section.
They told me about how, unlike commercial airplanes, there is no ground navigation to aid them in the flight. Instead, they use radar on board combined with their sight to navigate us safely to The Pole.
Take a look at the view from the cockpit:
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
We finally made it to The Pole, more formally known as the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Arriving at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station for the first time. So surreal.
Named after Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian who is credited with first reaching the Geographic South Pole, and Robert F. Scott, one of five British men who reached the South Pole about one month later, this station is the southernmost habitation on Earth.
The main entrance to the South Pole Station.
With a maximum population of approximately 150 people in the summer (now), falling to approximately 50 people in the winter, the South Pole Station is much much smaller than McMurdo Station. Because of this it has a different feel to it. Right from the start I noticed the closeness of this community – everyone knows each other here.
After yet another briefing, I found my dorm room. It’s small, but cozy with cardboard covering the window. It’s 24 hours of sunlight here so blocking out the light is essential to sleeping well.
Well, it’s time for me to snuggle up to a good movie. Although I am taking medication for altitude sickness (we’re at almost 10,000 ft here!), I was still advised to take it easy for a few days.
Thanks to everyone who is following along and please feel free to post comments or questions in the space below. I’ll be sure to get back to you just as soon as the satellite with our internet connection comes back around.
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