Antarctic Passenger Terminal

I am writing this message from the Antarctic Passenger Terminal in Christchurch. This is where we wait for the final flight briefing and then to board the airplane. They were able to get an Airbus and a C-17 out yesterday. There are rumors (accurate information is sometimes scant) that an Airbus went this morning and we are scheduled for a flight on a C-17. Provided that the weather does not change and there are no mechanical problems, I will be leaving at 7:30 PM Colorado time and arriving at Pegasus Runway approximately 5 1/2 hours later. From there we will board a vehicle to take us into McMurdo Station. We will be landing at night. This will also be my first experience of seeing darkness in Antarctica. All of my previous trips have been with continuous daylight. Tomorrow is Sunday, the one day off each week, so we might be greeted with a quiet day immediately after our arrival.

The Antarctic Passenger Terminal for the United States Antarctic Program in Christchurch, New Zealand.

All of my gear for my six weeks in Antarctica. Everybody is limited to 85 pounds on the flights to/from New Zealand, not including your carry-on bag.

After your bags are checked in there is a waiting game until being brought to the airplane.

When it comes time to load the plane, we go through a security screening fairly similar to that by TSA at an airport in the United States.

After the security screening we are transported by an old school bus onto the tarmac to load the airplane.

The United States Antarctic Program works with the Air Force to provide some of the cargo flights to / from Antarctica and New Zealand. This is the C-17 and it is a pretty nice ride with a reasonable flight length at about 5 1/2 hours.