Saturday 24 December 2011

From Halley to Eagle the science site


Avtar fuel drums being used for the plane


Space inside the twin otter plane. Not really a lot of space left once all of the gear is added. 


Ian potten and DJ max and me (co-pilot) in the cockpit looking out over the continental ice shelf.  Should anything happen on the return leg with just the pilot and me then the idea would be that i would be able to survive and get help although i am not sure how i would be able to land the plane if something happened in the air. Steering it at altitude and trying to keep it on course and level was hard enough.


Ian (GA) and DJ max in the back of the plane next to the extra fuel drum which increases the planes flying capacity (by 2-3 hours).


DJ max checking out one of the autonomous LPM (low powered magnetometers) sites at condor at about 6000 feet. Beautiful clear skies with a cool breeze.


Sleeping on the twin otter at the Eagle site at 80 degree, 10 degrees off the south pole, just another 600 miles. The temperature was a little colder than Halley (-12 oC) but the sheepskin rug and the heavy duty sleeping bag help. Quite warm actually but didn't sleep to well, might have been better off in the tent for the night.


Digging the site for the tent on the plateau with the Shackleton mountains in the background.


Breakfast time with hot tea and Alpen.


The Shackleton mountains that he never reached due to his ship being caught in the ice and crushed and were so named after him by fuchs's who made the journey in the 50's?



The twin otter coming into land at Halley.


Thats me in the co-pilot seat, strictly hands off and just looking.

1 comment:

Andy Smith said...

Hi Neil, I was interested in your flight to the Eagle LPM site. You say it is about 80S with the Shackleton Mtns in the background. I wonder if it is the same place where I helped set up the A80 AGO (Automatic Geophysical Observartory) in 1995 (80.8S 22.3W). We had the Shacks in the background there. Say 'Hello' to DJMax for me. I have put a link to your blog on the Z-Fids website (2011 page) www.zfids.org.uk/. Andy.