Travel and Arrival in McMurdo Station, Antarctica!

Wednesday January 9th

4:30 AM - Awake before alarm, ugh.  Try and doze back off.
4:55 AM - Alarm.  Get up, shower, repack.
5:35 AM - Meet shuttle early, head to CDC (Clothing Distribution Center)
6:00 AM - Gather Extreme Cold Weather gear, put on gear for flight, move bags to terminal.

Briefing is given in passenger terminal, check in bags and through military security.  Wait.

Departure Estimate 8:30 AM

7:45 AM - Delayed, switching cargo to a a different plane.  "Hang tight"
8:00 AM - Keep hanging tight.

Wait wait wait.

9:37 AM - I am through security and waiting on the bus to the LC-130.  I attempt one last iMessage with home but WiFi connection is failing.

As we drive through the security gate and the LC-130 comes into view I come to realize I am about to board an Air Force operated aircraft.  The only other Air Force I have been on has either been retired at a museum or active but shutdown at an airshow.  I have never been in the service and at my age never will.  I realize the shear magnitude of the opportunity I have been given.  A civilian on a military aircraft, heading to the Earth's Southernmost Continent!

We get settled into the sling seats in the Herc.  Hercules is the name of the plane and Herc is the nickname that people use.  It is a bit cramped, more so than sardine class (economy) on commercial airliners.  Knees are interwoven with the person directly in front of you, time to introduce yourself.

Looking around the aircraft you can see everything.  What seems like miles upon miles of wires neatly bundled with ties and insulated clamps.  Insulation that helps keep the "cargo" be a little warmer.  The cargo, people and a new ski for the front of another Herc, or so I hope, maybe it is for ours?  The loadmaster is busy helping getting all of the load secured, that includes us.

When we are seated the Loadmaster hands out hearing protection and recommends we put them in as the engines will start soon.  I squeeze down the plugs and insert them.  As they expand the world around me becomes muted and distant.  Then the engines start, the noise and vibration grow as they come up to speed.  Taxing begins a few minutes later.

10:30 AM - We speed up the runway.  It is bumpier than the posh airline travel that most of us are accustomed to.  I cannot see anything outside the plane as there are no port holes within view, good thing I don't get motion sickness.  The plane continues to get louder and louder, bumpier and bumpier until finally a sense of weightlessness is achieved.  Takeoff!  I settled in and began reading a book.  Not too long later I made eye contact with the loadmaster and he signaled to me that i could move around if needed.  I got up and stretched.  I found a place in the back to sit on some cargo near the loadmaster.  The loadmaster found himself a nice place to stretch out too, the front ski makes a nice hammock with the tie-down straps.  I continued reading.

The flight is 8 and a half hours long.  About one hour from touchdown people start to congregate in the back of the plane near the portholes.  You can see ice floating on the ocean below and mountains are visible in the distance.  The wait is worth it.  Majestic peaks crested with snow, nothing visible for miles and miles except black volcanic rock, white snow and ice, and blue ocean waters.  Everyone is courteous and willing to share the little view through the six rear portholes.  Cameras clicking, phones videoing, we are all taking in the sites of the most remote continent on earth.

(Picture from iPhone out one of the rear portholes)

The loadmaster instructs us to use the head and return to our seats in the next few minutes.  It won't be long till we touch down at the ice runway.   I return to my seat, strap in, and read a little.  The loadmaster is switching sides of the aircraft to check on something outside the plane.  I try to get a view of how far up we still are but looking into his mirrored sunglasses but I have no luck.  The pilots are adjusting the aircraft a little by banking.  I try to read some more but am completely curious when we will approach the ground and need to brace for braking.  The plane touches down so effortlessly with little weather at the moment.

It takes a few minutes to shut down the aircraft and we then begin to exit the plane.  I get out the GoPro to video my first steps onto the 7th continent.

I have arrived!!!