Grounded
We recently received some Polar Mail from Andrew in McConnellsburg, Pa., asking how we travel safely in Antarctica. Great question and great timing! Today our scheduled helicopter flight from Cape Royds back to the centrally heated comfort of McMurdo Station was canceled because of unsafe flying conditions.
Because Antarctica is such an unforgiving place, people at McMurdo Station take safety very seriously. They keep travelers safe through thorough preparation, regular communication, and lots of backup gear in case something goes wrong. Their credo is to stay safe by not getting into trouble in the first place. That’s why our flight was canceled today. It means we sleep in our Scott tent and enjoy the penguins for an extra day—a better idea than risking a crash-landing just to make it home on time.
So thanks to Andrew for the great question, and please keep those questions coming. We love to get mail, and though we can’t promise you’ll get a whole day’s post as your answer, we do promise to write back. Email us at polardiscovery@whoi.edu and include your name, city, state and country.
Read on about our adventure in the slideshow below. Can't see the slideshow? Get the Flash plug in »
