Everything is packed and we get our early morning shuttle back out to the airport and the USAP center. WE struggle into our ECW gear and then try to bend over to get on our bunny boots. It's a hoot! Everyone sort of walks funny with the big ungainly boots and Carharrt insulated bib overalls. We are required to wear out full complement of clothes, boots, hats, gloves, goggles and all for the flight. I got my kangaroo bag to 24 pounds and the carry-on exactly fits with some persuasion from my bunny boot. Over to the Antarctic Centre for a quick breakfast. Then I'm issued my boarding pass, weigh in my 2 big bags and my 2 day bags. and sit through a video on what to expect on the flight.
Eventually we get on buses and are taken over to the plane in a separate area of the Christchurch Airport. I got on fairly early in the process and discover to my delight that the front half of the plane is set up like a first class section of any other airline with wide seats configured 2 and 2 and wit wide aisles. The back half is more normal Economy class with narrower seats arranged 3 and 3. Very luck to have scored that one!
The plane is run by an Australian firm with 3 pilots and co-pilots, 3 flight attendants and 1 other guy. We are invited to visit the cockpit and look out and talk with the crew. We're issued substantial bag lunches, but are urged to save some things in case we have to boomerang. Apparently the record for one set of passengers is to boomerang 7 times before getting in. Not something I'd relish!
We take off for our 5 hour flight and all goes well. After 2 hours or so you could began to see the pack ice through momentary breaks in the clouds. Later we come across the western edge of the Ross Sea and the Trans-Antarctic Mountains. Huge! Majestic! Rising up out of the ice and snow. Fingers of glaciers poking out from the continent. The captain announces that we are beginning our descent into McMurdo and the plane stirs. Everyone hustles to don the rest of their ECW gear. When we hit the Ice, we need to be able to exit quickly and fully protected so that the overwinterers can load up quickly and the plane return to New Zealand. But shortly after that we get the strange announcement from the captain that we are turning back, that fog has rolled in over the strip and conditions are not safe for our landing. Everyone is looking to their neighbors thinking it is a practical joke, but as the time lengthens without a punchline, we realize that he's serious. The flight monitor shows us turning around and heading back to New Zealand; the distance to destination and from our departure place change, too, and it settles in. It's a somber lot as we boomerang.
I think everyone is thinking what will happen. Fly tomorrow? Will they bump and consolidate us with the incoming C-17 flight? That's probably full, too, and that should mean that some of them will be bumped to the next C-17 flight a few days after.
As we get close to the coast of New Zealand and are paralleling it, the Southern Alps are cloud covered. If I'm correct the Maori name for New Zealand is something like the Land of the Long Clouds. How perfectly appropriate as the clouds are hugging the full length of the summits of the mountains and the clouds are indeed long.
We land again, doff the cold weather gear, and collect more per-diem money for meals. In town we arrange for dinner and Liz and I go to an Indian restaurant, Two Fat Indians. Right after we ordered we get hit with 2 aftershocks. She's on the verge of panicking. To bolt into the streets or to say in the older building? Safety says stay but the nerves say flee!
Back to the hotel where a notice under the door greets me and announces that tomorrow's flight has been canceled and we have the day off.
Eventually we get on buses and are taken over to the plane in a separate area of the Christchurch Airport. I got on fairly early in the process and discover to my delight that the front half of the plane is set up like a first class section of any other airline with wide seats configured 2 and 2 and wit wide aisles. The back half is more normal Economy class with narrower seats arranged 3 and 3. Very luck to have scored that one!
The plane is run by an Australian firm with 3 pilots and co-pilots, 3 flight attendants and 1 other guy. We are invited to visit the cockpit and look out and talk with the crew. We're issued substantial bag lunches, but are urged to save some things in case we have to boomerang. Apparently the record for one set of passengers is to boomerang 7 times before getting in. Not something I'd relish!
We take off for our 5 hour flight and all goes well. After 2 hours or so you could began to see the pack ice through momentary breaks in the clouds. Later we come across the western edge of the Ross Sea and the Trans-Antarctic Mountains. Huge! Majestic! Rising up out of the ice and snow. Fingers of glaciers poking out from the continent. The captain announces that we are beginning our descent into McMurdo and the plane stirs. Everyone hustles to don the rest of their ECW gear. When we hit the Ice, we need to be able to exit quickly and fully protected so that the overwinterers can load up quickly and the plane return to New Zealand. But shortly after that we get the strange announcement from the captain that we are turning back, that fog has rolled in over the strip and conditions are not safe for our landing. Everyone is looking to their neighbors thinking it is a practical joke, but as the time lengthens without a punchline, we realize that he's serious. The flight monitor shows us turning around and heading back to New Zealand; the distance to destination and from our departure place change, too, and it settles in. It's a somber lot as we boomerang.
I think everyone is thinking what will happen. Fly tomorrow? Will they bump and consolidate us with the incoming C-17 flight? That's probably full, too, and that should mean that some of them will be bumped to the next C-17 flight a few days after.
As we get close to the coast of New Zealand and are paralleling it, the Southern Alps are cloud covered. If I'm correct the Maori name for New Zealand is something like the Land of the Long Clouds. How perfectly appropriate as the clouds are hugging the full length of the summits of the mountains and the clouds are indeed long.
We land again, doff the cold weather gear, and collect more per-diem money for meals. In town we arrange for dinner and Liz and I go to an Indian restaurant, Two Fat Indians. Right after we ordered we get hit with 2 aftershocks. She's on the verge of panicking. To bolt into the streets or to say in the older building? Safety says stay but the nerves say flee!
Back to the hotel where a notice under the door greets me and announces that tomorrow's flight has been canceled and we have the day off.
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