The plan for opening the South Pole this year has changed from the past. The New York Air National Guard, who flies the ski-equipped, LC-130 Hercules aircraft that we use for passenger and cargo transport, has refused to fly below -50 C. This is with good cause, as landing below these temperatures puts a good deal of stress on the planes, often causing equipment malfunctions later on.

In response to this, as well as to attempt to open the station more slowly, the US Antarctic Program contracted with a Canadian transport company to arrange an earlier flight window with a different plane. Ken Borek Air will be flying a modified DC-3 aircraft, known as a Basler. These modified planes have a good deal of history, as the original DC-3 was designed and built prior to World War II and has continued to be a staple of air travel around the world since. Newly constructed versions of the plane are modified at a company in Wisconsin to increase their range, operating temperature window, and cargo carying capacity. The Baslers have a history at Pole, landing many times in the past years. This will be the first time, however, that they will be a dedicated part of the USAP.

I’ve been scheduled to fly on the final Basler flight of the opening, on October 24. The first flight should be taking place as soon as the weather clears at the South Pole (it is clear, beautiful, and about 5 degrees Farenheit here at McMurdo Station). There will be seven flights in all. The Basler has a maximum operational ceiling of 14,000 feet, meaning that we will be flying through the Trans-Antarctic Mountains, rather than high above them as in the LC-130s. All of Antarctica will be splayed out below us for our view during the five hour ride.

What gets me though, every time I see that airplane, waiting out on the ice runway, waiting for us to hop on and ride it, is the fact that it harkens back to a more romantic period of air travel - something straight out of movies from the 40s and 50s. When I look over at it, the theme song from the Indiana Jones movies pops into my head and I can picture it flying over a map of Antarctica, a red line growing behind it as a movie montage takes us home to the South Pole.

I’ve been craving to fly on those birds for years, and have been excited to no end as I wait here for take-off.

I didn’t think anything could top that ride to the South Pole.

Then I got an email today from my supervisor. Turns out a couple of volunteers were needed to stop at a glacier and dig out a fuel cache. I was volunteered.

Volunteered to hop on an even smaller, more nimble and veteran plane in the Antarctic program, the Twin Otter. As of Saturday I am scheduled to fly out to the largest glacier on the planet, the Beardmore. We will land on the glacier, dig out a fuel cache needed for a remote science field camp, the hop back on the plane and fly through the mountains and over the glacier to the South Pole. There will be four of us, the two pilots, and a lot of shovels.

My smile grew even wider at the news.

Pictures soon, of the planes mentioned above, and of the trip, when it is done.

In the mean, I’ll just keep ambling along, looking for adventures to find me.