In the top picture we are unloading our cargo at McMurdo. Mt Aribus is in the background. The runways and taxiways are on temporary sea ice which at this time was 5 1/2 feet thick. To refuel the plane they towed a big rubber bag of fuel out and had it next to the parking spot. They used a gas motor to power the pumps. It was so cold that we left the hydraulic pumps running the whole time. On one of our two flights there we cracked a center windshield as soon as the power to heat the windshields was turned off. These windows are over two inches thick and are very strong so flying back was no problem, althought the pilot was a bit nervous when the cracks started to spread. If you were sitting that close to a cracked window at 35,000 feet you would probably feel the same way. The pressure is 8 times more inside, than outside. |