Day three of life in Greenland (but my second day flying) began with my alarm going off at 5:30am. Getting up at that time is no different than my usual wake up time for teaching school. After getting dressed, I headed across the street to Dundas (the cafeteria) and had breakfast. I went back to the North Star (our hotel) to pick up my gear and I was walking over to the hangar by 6:30am. Upon reaching the hangar I heard the alarm signaling the hangar doors are opening. The hangar is huge and I watched as the doors were pulled apart so the plane could be moved out. Shortly after the doors opened, the plane was positioned on the ramp and the crew could walk over to the plane to stow their gear. For me all of this was quick and easy, but I have an easy job. Most of the crew who fly on the plane are up at 4:30am. They are looking at flight plans, getting the daily weather, and checking over the airplane to make sure it is safe to fly. Not a warm or easy way to start the day.
The hangar at Thule Air Force Base.
This is the tow that pulls the plane out of the hangar and onto the ramp.
After getting on the plane, everything appears to be easy. The crew members sit at their stations, they check their instruments, and prepare for the day. The instrumentation is very important. That is an understatement. Gathering the data is the entire reason for IceBridge to exist so getting reliable data is the key to mission success. All of the sensors (the different radar systems, altimeters, etc.) of the plane are monitored by the different crew members. If one of the stations isn't working then they will lose that data for the entire day. All of the instruments are located outside or under the plane. In some cases it is extremely hard to fix a problem inflight and in other cases it's impossible. Before takeoff is a very important time for the crew, where they have to be paying attention and know everything that is occurring at their station. Most of the physical work done by the crew takes place before takeoff and after landing. While onboard and in the air, data collection and monitoring are the main components of the work done aboard the P-3.
The flying is done by our amazing NASA pilots. Some of it is done on autopilot but there are also some areas that have to be hand flown. Accuracy is very important. The plane has to fly over the exact same area year after year for the scientists to be able to use the data. Many scientists from all over the world rely on this data to show how the ice is changing over time (rate of change). As we fly the crew watches their monitors and makes notes. Unlike commercial flights, once we take off everyone is allowed to get up and walk around the cabin.
It's crazy to see the enthusiasm these guys have for what they do. It's only my second flight so I am glued to any window I can peer out of to see and take in everything. Going into this I thought that I would be the only one who was that excited because I am fresh and new to all of this, but I was mistaken. The crew still gets excited about seeing the ice sheet and looking at all of the features. When they are explaining the science to me, their eyes light up and huge smiles cross their faces.
The days are long. We take off around 8am and land just before 4pm most days. On Fridays the airfield closes early so we lose an hour of flight time. Being on the plane for eight hours takes a lot out of you. I didn't realize how tired flying can make you. Sitting here writing this I can feel my eyes wanting to close. It doesn't help that I took some motion sickness medicine today which made me drowsy. We flew over land ice today and I was told that near the mountains it is very bumpy. This statement was extremely accurate. As we passed the large red mountains the plane would shake and I missed a few good pictures because the turbulence was bad enough that I couldn't stand next to the window.
A mountain in Northwest Greenland. As the plane flies closer to the mountains there is more turbulence.
After we land, the crew scurries off the plane to check their data. The flight crew does a walk around to make sure that the plane is in perfect condition before the flight the next day. Checks are always done before we take off in the morning and when we return. Flight safety is extremely important. At 5:30pm the entire crew meets back at the North Star for a debriefing on the days' activities and to plan what is in store for tomorrow. At these meetings one of the main things we talk about is weather. Weather is an important factor in determining the flight plan for the day. In Greenland the weather can change very quickly and like all weather it can be hard to predict. Most of the crew heads to dinner after the meeting. After dinner the crew is free to relax. Depending on the day's events and the work that needs to be done, some of the crew take a small break and relax before bed while others continue to work on into the night. Then people go to bed to wake up and repeat it all the next day.
Adeena Teres standing outside of the plane after her second day of flying.
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