The Long Road Home...

 After 10 weeks on the ice, it was time for me to catch my ride home on Thursday. This season, our LC-130s have had a rough go of it. We have barely had any flying because of maintenance issues. So, I knew going into the departure day there would be a chance that something would happen. We had expected two more LC's on the ice the day before, however they were delayed due to weather in Christchurch. So.... we only had the 1 LC-130 that was to fly me out. 

 We boarded the plane at 11am and took off about 11:30am. Although I had been in an LC to the Pole, that was only a 3 hour flight and I got to sit in the cockpit most of that time. This flight would be 8-9 hours and packed with people. 

 Here we all are waiting to take off. Those in black/orange jackets were from the NZ base. There were only 5 American passengers onboard and 20 NZ passengers. 

 30 minutes into the flight, there was a mechanical issue with the nose ski. We had to turn back. Turning back to McMurdo is not common. (In hindsight, I should have known something bad would happen..... our flight number was 13!) We were all disappointed, as it takes a lot to get ready to go and leave your life that you've had behind. You are also carrying heavy bags and wearing a heavy parka and boots that make you feel like the Michelin man.

Here we are off the plane and the maintenance team starting to take a look.

We got off the plane and waited 7 more hours for them to fix the ski and change out the crew. It was not a fun day considering we were waiting in essentially a trailer with no food or wifi. 

Here are the guys working on the nose ski. They had to jack up the front end of the LC.

Back onboard and take off around 8pm. Both planes from New Zealand that left around our original takeoff time landed in McMurdo as we waited to take off towards New Zealand. 


What scared me the most about this flight was not the maintenance issues, but the dreaded toilet experience. On my Pole flight, I just didn't use it. But on a 9 hour flight..... it was going to have to happen.  Here's the toilet. It's on a pedestal so everyone can see you and there's a janky shower curtain that is held in some places by velcro ever so slightly that at any moment it could fly open for everyone on the plane to get a good view. Also, it was open to the back of the plane where the cargo is. You gotta hope the load master isn't doing some job back there! I was brave and used it a few times. Let's just say my hand was holding on for dear life on that shower curtain closure.....

Made it back to Christchurch at 3am and my hotel at 5am. I had one day in NZ before the long trek back to Houston. I did take time to eat a salad (my first fresh vegetables and fruit in a loooong time) and smell the roses at the Botanical Gardens. It's quite a shock to your senses to have so many colors, smells, people, and noises around you after the outdoor quiet serenity of McMurdo. 







The next day or two I spent flying back to Houston. I just woke up after a glorious 10 hours of rest, the first time I've slept more than 4 hours in months. 

It's good to be home. 













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