4. Still here

4 Dec 2002 - Paolo G. Calisse, Christchurch, NZ

Yes, still in Christchurch, NZ, waiting for the flight to McMurdo. This is the 4th delay in a row. Weather conditions are still bad in McMurdo, Antarctica, the station on the Ross Sea from which we will fly to South Pole, ma not so bad as in the past days. Today 15 lucky pax (passengers, as they are called by airlines) left to McMurdo by an LC-130.

The LC-130 is a sky-equipped version of the C-130, the so-called Hercules, a large four propeller aircraft used everywhere as a cargo. This make it possible to land on blue ice, not only on the pack, making it possible to land almost everywhere on the Antarctic Plateau, even on unprepared runways.

The LC took off, unlike my aircraft, a standard C-130 on wheels. I got another boring day to work and relax in the comfort of the hotel.

Also the Italians, on board of the Safair C-130, left to Terra Nova Bay, the Italian station of the coast of the Ross Sea, about 4 deg south of McMurdo. The conditions were not so bad down there. I can follow in real time the position of each of those aircraft in the USAP (United States Antarctic Program) intranet web page, unfortunatly not accessible from outside. They are close to reach the respective landing place.

I cross the fingers for tomorrow.