Today was a fun day. Did a little prep up in the shop for our big trip coming up and then after lunch we headed to skidoo training. They showed us all the parts they want us to inspect before firing it up. Taught us their strategy for cold starting it in fifty below. Then they let us loose on the transition area of the ice between Ross Island and McMurdo bay. We shot around a little course, slalomed through some flags both forward and in reverse, and generally had a great time considering we were at work.
As the training came to a close a C-17 roared over us real low full of the first wave of scientists, as well as room for some "Polies", or workers and scientists from the South Pole, coming home from the winterover. The USAP finally got their first flight in and out of South Pole today. The return flight flew over us this afternoon while we zoomed around on our skidoos. The polies came in on a modified DC-3, as I understand it, that is called a "Bassler:. The plane was built in the forties but still flies the Antarctic Skies. It has a wider range of safe operating temperatures than the C-130s, or the C-17.
To maintain the theme of today the helicopters were very busy today as well. I hope when I return from the WAIS that I will get a chance to jump on one of those machines.
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If anyone has any questions about my travels please comment.