This is the summer airport, the Ice Runway.Alan in Antarctica
On Oct. 5, 2004, I went home. I flew on the first airplane to come to McMurdo in 6 weeks, a C-17. When it landed it tore a hole in the Ice Runway, shutting down other flights for almost a week. I was lucky that it was able to take off.
This is the summer airport, the Ice Runway.
The C-17 waiting for us.
The Terrabus, after dropping us off at the plane.
Inside the C-17, before takeoff.
There were only a couple cargo pallets in the back, so we had plenty of room to
walk around.
On my QANTAS flight from Auckland to Los Angeles, they announced, "No sleeping
on the floor," but that was not the case on the C-17.
A crewman on the C-17. Note the hat and patch.
The Operation Deep Freeze patch, and our route home. The military support
for the Antarctic program has been called Operation Deep Freeze for the past 50
years.
Fabulous views of glaciers, mountains, icebergs, and sea ice as we flew back
over Victoria Land.
The most beautiful sight in Christchurch. I had not had fresh fruit or
vegetables for a month. It was delicious.