Just as every new raid arrival is a celebration, so is each landing of the planes a highlight. The station becomes a control tower, and warnings to stay off the grounds are issued via the intercom. There is no dedicated “air traffic” crew; instead it is the IT and radio team who must learn the basics about flight navigation. Hours before each planned landing, they use binoculars to observe the visibility at pre-determined points on the horizon and describe the kinds of clouds there are in the sky. They then regularly transmit the information to the pilots and other stations. Concordia is definitely a great opportunity to become multifunctional!
I love watching a tiny dot on the horizon slowly transform into a fuselage and wings, and observe the plane’s bumpy sliding on the snow taxiway. Around the middle of the runway, the pilots veer at 90° and glide in between the summer camp and tents, sending flurries of snow on all the buildings. The gas pump is located right next to the station so the planes actually come very close. Almost everyone goes out to watch and get a sprinkling of snow! As soon as the plane comes to a stop there is an outbreak of feverish activity on all sides. Between newcomers getting off the plane, people greeting them, others who stand ready with skidoos to unload the plane as quickly as possible, technicians who immediately refuel the plane and keep the engines warm, or protect them depending on whether or not the plane is staying overnight, personnel eagerly awaiting material, and pretty much all of us hoping for a few treats (or our canteens!), there is something for everyone! There is such an effervescence that often the crates get carried away before you have had time to glimpse into them, and you get a wonderful surprise at the next meal when you discover some kiwis, pears or avocados!
The pilots and co-pilots keep the rhythm of a different time zone to ours and try to get as much rest as they can in between their flights, but we do get a few chances to speak with them and hear all about their summer campaign and the other stations. This is how I learn that the pizza at the Italian station McMurdo is the best in Antarctica, and that Union Glacier Camp in Antarctica sounds like a good follow-up work opportunity! The different time zone also means that many of the flights end up leaving in the middle of the night for us, which is early morning for the pilots…. Luckily, the blazing midnight sun makes us forget we would rather be in bed!
Two kinds of planes can land at Concordia; the Basler (DC3), and the Twin otter (DHC-6), which must stop at midpoint to refuel. “Midpoint” is, simply put, a few barrels of fuel in the middle of nowhere, next to the raid track, in between Concordia and Prud’homme. Kenn Borek Air Ltd, a Canadian company based in Calgary, operates both types of planes. The pilots are obviously extremely experienced and competent to fly in a unique environment; they must land on ice, take off at high altitude, and operate complex machines in extreme temperatures and on a continent where the sky and snow-covered ground can often blur into one. One of the most renowned Captains is Jim Haffey, whom everyone talks about with reverence; his skills are recognized throughout Antarctica. Jim and his crew are the last people we see before the beginning of our winter-over. With the Basler, they bring us the last delivery of fresh food for the next 9 months, a few days after the last summer campaigners have left. Jim and his collegues have pretty much seen every over-winter crew. As they wish us a safe year, it is an emotional farewell!
75 Degrees South 