Goodbye Jethro
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Oops. I guess I missed a Sunday. The past two have not really been days-off as usual. The Twin Otter crews aren’t bound by a weekly schedule as their counterparts in the LC-130s are. So they fly when the weather is good and don’t fly when it isn’t. When the weather got better here they got out to Fosdick and pulled out the camp there. The plan was to get G-088 in here at Siple Dome during the day and have them spend 1 night. The next day we would build palettes of their gear to go out on a Herc in the afternoon. The whole thing went like clockwork until 10 minutes before the plane arrived and the infamous Siple Doom fog set in. It was too thick to land so they circled for two hours waiting for it to clear. It finally cleared at about midnight and they got in and out with all of G-088 and their gear and were able to leave us some fuel in the bladder. They didn’t lift off until 1am taking advantage of their full flight-day hours.
The next chore on the schedule was to fly our old broken Tucker out. The task has been on and off the schedule for a couple of months. Its main problem is that it has a cracked cylinder head where all the coolant sprays out so it can’t be run with coolant risking a seizure if the engine gets too hot. Since it has been sitting here for almost a year we have been using it for parts for the good Tucker. But, we have been careful not to take parts that would render it immobile. We did take a universal joint off the forward drive shaft making it a 2TD.
There was a technical disagreement as to the best way to get it on the plane. It is hard enough to get it on the plane when it is running and it becomes a huge project when it has to be winched. One camp wanted to start the Tucker and drive it the 100ft onto the Herc and then use the winch if necessary. The other camp wanted to tow it to the back of the plane with the good tucker and winch it on hence “saving” the engine. When they first had it on the schedule to be flown out we actually had it running to the point that it could be moved under its own power making the former proposal entirely feasible. But, in the end, it was decided to go with the latter proposal. No preparations were made to insure the engine would start prior to towing it to the ramp in the back of the plane (aside from a vigorous Herman Nelsoning). As a result, when we found ourselves in a bind getting it in the cargo hold and badly needed steering, the motor wouldn’t start because it had a dead battery. Ultimately, the Herc shut down (something that they never do at a remote site) and we spent two hours towing it this way and that and winching it ever-so-slowly into the belly of the beast. We heard from the Twin Otter guys that they saw it broken down on the ice road to the Willy Field Runway at McMurdo. Apparently, someone jumped it and tried to drive it back to town without much luck.
The same flight brought in the second phase of the I-205 group, our last science group of the season. Their job is to pick up all the GPS units the first phase placed out in the ice streams around Siple Dome. The same Twin Otter crew that pulled out G-088 are here again supporting I-205. Our last scheduled Herc flight it to pull out I-205 and all their gear. The schedule is ALWAYS subject to change. We will most likely be here until around the 7th of February. They are trying to keep us here as long as possible as a potential divert landing site for WAIS Divide and South Pole. Once again: subject to change.
Luke
Well, here I am again. I found you by accident a couple of weeks ago … and can’t resist returning periodically now and then, to read how you’re doing. Take care and keep well!
Hello,
I have applied for a one-month position on the Nathaniel B. Palmer reserach vessel through Raytheon, but I don’t have any applicable experience. I work in consulting, but have really been thinking about making a life change and switching to the Sciences.
I ran across this blog and just thought I ‘d see who was out there and if anyone could give me some advice on how to land this position. I want it so bad, I’ll do it practically for free!
Hope you are all keeping warm!
Thanks!
Amie