Only one way to truly represent this day

... and that is by copying in the email correspondence arising from the cancellation of our put-in flight!

Mike Brown and I, with cargo, WERE scheduled to fly to Fosdick Mountains by Basler today, via Siple Dome (our old home away from Fosdicks), with an ultimate aim of Aircraft ops for the Basler to wind up at Byrd Camp at 125°W, 80°S.   Trusty old West Antarctica does not like to offer good weather at four sites on one day, so.. yep, we got cancelled!!   We'll give it the old college try again tomorrow.  There are several scenarios that could play out... but I am not going to summarize them here anew, when there has been so much email zinging back and forth about it today! Read on if you are familiar with this world, or skim it if your not.  As a final note of Fair Disclosure:  "Mr Pickles" is international mountain guide Tim Burton.

-----Original Message-----
From: Christine Smith Siddoway [mailto:CSiddoway@ColoradoCollege.edu]
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 2:19 PM
To: AirCoordinators
Cc: MBrown; g097fdm
Subject: G097 questions on cargo handling for the various scenarios

Hi, Friends of KBA,
You guys are full of action today!!  1/ wow, Julie, you made things
HAPPEN after I mentioned that Mr Pickles would have to do without the
Tanqueray in our Baja order -- we nearly wound up with a duplicate box!
(but drat, Dan MCMbeverages caught it and pulled one out.)  or,

2/ Is this cancellation today mainly so that the metal detector can get
into our hands and make it on a flight out to Fosdicks?? (I think I did
tell you, we are bringing more shovels out with us, ready to attack all
that accumulation and unbury the fuel drums)

but enough fun; on to business:
Thanks for giving us a run down on flight prospects for tomorrow, via
your conversation with Mike Brown this morning, that is a big help from
the planning standpoint!  A few questions arise from the various
scenarios.  OK if I lay out some of those to you, so that if need be I
can give a heads-up to the MCM workplaces that might be affected, most
principally cargo??

These plans are as described to me by Mike:

Plan A/ Tomorrow's schedule will be the same as today.
If FDM and SDM open then we will arrive there via SDM, and Basler goes
on to Byrd.  Does the cargo load remain the same, or has the equipment
that is needed at Byrd been sent on the two Hercs that went to Byrd
today? If so, is there a chance for a Basler flight direct to Fosdicks
if Fosdicks weather allows?
AND-- if Byrd is NOT open, can you allow the Basler to fly directly to
Fosdicks with us and cargo, then return to SDM to wait for weather to
improve at Byrd?

Plan B/  If FDM is closed and  SDM is open, we will still be manifested
to fly on Basler via SDM but will go with it to Byrd. Will that be WITH
our own cargo that is destined for Fosdicks?

Plan C/ Another alternative is that if FDM and SDM are both closed in
the morning,  the Basler will fly directly  to Byrd without us. Will our
cargo remain on the Basler in that case??   WE would be transported by
Herc to Byrd, where we would then get scheduled for Basler transport
from Byrd to the  Fosdicks.
In the Herc-transport-to-Byrd plan, will we have to differently organize
our resupply pallets and cargo and re-TCN it for Herc transport?  As
instructed for the Basler handling, we have TCNd our cargo as many
individual low weight and cubes items.

Just a remark on the Byrd to Fosdick option  -- I understand that one of
the Basler taskings from Byrd is to place fuel and supply caches for a
team who are doing a skidoo-traverse north FROM Byrd ... so at least
that would be somewhat in the right direction for transport of us to
Fosdicks if the jobs were to be combined.

Isn't this all good for mental agility??  I'll go talk to Brian in USAP
Cargo just for kicks,

Christine and Mike
G097

________________________________________
From: AirCoordinators
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 7:23 PM
To: Christine Smith Siddoway; AirCoordinators
Cc: MBrown; g097fdm
Subject: RE: G097 questions on cargo handling for the various scenarios

Christine- glad that Pickles is going to get his booze.  I don't want a
crying pickle in the field.
As for the metal detector, today's weather in MCM does not seem
favorable for the pick-up from the helo camp. I was hoping today's cxl
might have given us the edge to get it, but....not looking good.  I've
let everyone involved know the importance, so if there is any chance of
connecting it with you before you go, we'll make it happen.
Finally, for the plan tomorrow:

The Basler will either go MCM/SDM/FOS/NBY OR  MCM/NBY - both options
include you and your gear.

As I don't want to wake you or Jules up tomorrow morning again, let me
know a good time/phone to reach you after 0630.
JAR


-----Original Message-----
From: Christine Smith Siddoway [mailto:CSiddoway@ColoradoCollege.edu]
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 5:02 PM
To: airCoordinators
Subject: RE: G097 questions on cargo handling for the various scenarios

oh, a trembling-lip, blubbering Pickle would be the Worst.  BTW, when
Brian USAP cargo found our 'Baja' this a.m., it had G-079 on it, rather
than G097, just to add to the intrigue!

Phone x2772 is completely GOOD for early morning phone calls  -- please
DO call x2772 between 6:30 and 7 a.m., you won't be disturbing anybody!
Jules seems to get up around 5 a.m. usually, and her buzzing around
makes ME wake up, especially if we are supposed to fly. After 7:10 a.m.
or so we'll prob be at our BFC cage hauling items out to a taxi-shuttle.

Final question for you (mainly b/c I talked to some Byrd-bound folks in
BFC, who had seen a forecast for Byrd for blowing snow tomorrow): IF FDM
and SDM are good but NBY is bad weather tomorrow,  could we go ahead and
get transport to FDM, with Basler returning to MCM or winding  up at SDM
to await good landing conditions at Byrd??
Thanks mucho,

Christine

G097
________________________________________
From: AirCoordinators
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 9:08 PM
To: Christine Smith Siddoway
Subject: RE: G097 questions on cargo handling for the various scenarios

Yes, plan c is MCM-FOS-MCM

JAR


----- Forwarded Message
From: Chris Siddoway <csiddoway@coloradocollege.edu>
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 17:18:43 +1300
To: AirCoordinators
Cc: Michael Brown
Subject: RE: G097 questions on cargo handling for the various scenarios

Wow, wouldn't that be something!!
Thanks, JAR,

Christine