20 packages over the South Pole
Temperature: - 22.7 C, - 12 F Windchill: - 34 C, - 31 F Wind: 3 knts. Weather: Clear and sunny, very good visibility.
The weather is turning warmer and today we were watching the information screens in the dining hall very carefully. The air-drop had been postponed until today because of the weather. I hoped that it would hold so we all can see the packages being dropped from the C17 air plane (the same type of plane that brought us from Christchurch to McMurdo) and then descending to the ground with parachutes. This is what happened:
It was the second airdrop of this kind. The C17 was used to fly over an area near the station and dropped 20 packages with goods in an area near the antenna fields. Each package weight was 1000 pounds: 20 000 pound all together. The C17 can lift up to 125 000 pounds. The LC 130 ("Herc”) can only lift 25 000 pounds. However, the C 17 can not land on our skyway it does not have skies. This air – drop helped also to exercise a maneuver in case of an emergency.
Although I do not have an air picture from December, the following photos were taken by pilots in October when the station was opened. They will give an idea of where the airdrop happened in relation to the station.
**Approaching the South Pole Station from the SE. **
(Photo: Emrys Hall, Oct 10, 26, 2007, station opening) .This is the view when a plane is approaching the South Pole Station. The line in the middle is the ski way, or runway. To the left of the main station is the "Dark Sector”, the area that needs to avoid any radiation from the outside because of the work with the telescopes. The far left structure is the location of the "IceCube” project that puts neutrino detectors 2400 meters deep into the ice. ARO would be in the far upper right corner. The top right of the photo is the location of the Clean Air Field with ARO.
If you would fly over the station and then turn around and approach the station from the North you would see the Pole like this:
**Approaching ARO from the sky **
The bluish front building is ARO. The larger brown building is the New Station with the old Dom station to the left. (Photo: Emrys Hall, Oct. 26, 2007)*
If you fly closer, you would see the station like this:
Closer to ARO
The Clean Air Field and ARO are in front of us. The New Station with the old Dom station is covered in snow. The design of the new station was supposed to avoid snow drifts, however, snow still accumulated under the station and had to be transported away. (Photo: Emrys Hall, Oct. 26, 2007)*
**Closer to the New s South Pole Station **
The New Station and the old Dom station are covered in snow. One can see closely the snow accumulation around the New Station (Photo: Emrys Hall, October 26, 2007)*
**Air view of the Poles. **
This is closer view of the station: In the lower right are the Geographic and the Ceremonial pole.*
**Flying over the station. **
During the air-drop, of course, the plane would not fly like this over the station. However, it shows the area where the air-drop occurred above and left of the RF building, the little white ball structure to the upper right. The structures in different rows before that belong to the Cargo area. The ski-way is to the right. The C17 plane stayed South of the station for the air drop.*
We were allowed to walk to the RF building but no further. It was a perfect day : not windy and bright and sunny. The air drop was supposed to be at 6:30 pm. I had dinner and walked over to the RF building with many other Polies.
These were some of the images with my camera:
Air-drop, a Station event
Many people came to view the air-drop. It was exciting and also a nice social event.*
Cameras are ready for the Air drop
Polies are setting up their cameras for the air drop from the RF (Radio frequency) building.*
Waiting for the airdrop
Katherine from the weather station and I are waiting with other Polies for the C 17 and the air drop.*
Once the C17 was done completing the drop, it flew over the runway twice to "wave" to us good by. It dropped 20 packages in two drops.
Shortly after that, a LC 130 landed on our ski-way. I was very close to the runway and was able to get this shot of a "Herc” taking a right from the skyway and taxiing to the station to drop fuel and to pick up passengers. The plane came directly towards me for a moment.
"Hercules” front view!
The LC 130 leaves the ski way to taxi to the station.*
In the mean time it was 8:30pm. I hurried back to the station to make it the post office to mail some packages and cards. I also decorated our Christmas tree in the dining hall with my Danish Heart Christmas-ornaments! We are getting ready for Christmas.
Christmas Tree at South Pole
I am decorating the Christmas tree in the dining area where we will have our Christmas dinner on December 24th in three seatings for 254 people!*
At 9: 30 pm it was still very calm and bright and sunny. So I decided to take "Southie” and "Northie” for a walk to the Poles. We had fun having our pictures taken. Particular "Northie” since his home is the Arctic. There are no polar bears in the Antarctic. He felt like me very lucky to be here. Southie felt lucky as well, since penguins do not live at the South Pole. They live 800 miles away near the water! We also met the South Pole reindeer. Was Santa on the detour from the North Pole, Northie and Southie were wondering?
Rain Deer at South Pole Station!
Was Santa on a detour at South Pole?
Southie at the Geographic pole!
Southie felt lucky to be at the Geographic pole! *
Northie at the Ceremonial pole!
Northie enjoyed being on top of the glass ball of the ceremonial pole.*
It was a great day for all of us!