Apprent-ICE 2016 Blog #4

This week this the team and I have put in a strong effort and managed to get the bulk of the PIR panel on both roofs providing us with a lot more shelter. With the rest of the four man team continuing on with finishing details on the roofs, I have been assisting the sectional door installer with us managing to install both of the large warm porch doors.

The only thing I would have to say I am finding frustrating at the moment would be the constant struggle of needing good use of your fingers for tightening up bolts etc. but at the same time keeping my hands warm!

On Tuesday night Scott Base hosted a large group of Aussies from Davis Station, as their ship they were meant to go home on ran into some mechanical problems. The US Air Force flew them to McMurdo for a couple of nights before flying them back to Hobart. We thought it would be a good opportunity for them to come over and have a tour, dinner and a couple of drinks at our bar. Some of the passengers had spent over 18 months on the ice and haven't needed to spend any money the whole time!

On the first weekend of every month Scott Base has a two day weekend (normally we all work six days a week). Making the most of the fine weather and long weekend a group of us jumped in a Hagglund for an hour drive out to Pegasus Runway. Just beyond the ice shelf runway is a C-121 Lockheed Constellation aircraft half buried in the ice-self. This plane crashed due to bad weather upon landing in the 1970’s, thankfully the 80 people on board were uninjured.

We are planning on having another busy week to get the last four sectionals in place before the cold weather really starts to kick in.