Flight Board

Part of my job is to keep the flight board (a white board in our office) up to date with the daily flights/cancellations/departures etc. It is actually pretty interesting and nice to be in the know. It is really starting to pick up this week as the LC-130's have made it to McMurdo from Christchurch and can do regular flights now. The LC-130's do a lot of our flights to the South Pole and other field camps. They are equipped with skis instead of wheels for their landing gear so they can get into a lot more places. We currently have 4 LC-130's on station that will stay all season and there are a couple C-17's that fly back and forth from Christchurch to McMurdo but don't stay here.

Today is a big day for planes. There was a southbound C-17 from Christchurch but was cancelled due to mechanical problems, 3 flights to the South Pole and 1 flight to Siple Dome (a field camp) but was aborted half way there due to weather.

Never a dull moment here!! I get to run mission reports for all southbound flights and some of the pole flights so I am always in the know with who and what is on the planes. I also run a northbound priority report every afternoon for cargo going back to New Zealand and usually onto the states. I can tell you there are live fish from Scott Base waiting to go to Christchurch. :) This is a really fun job!!