Danger low flying aircraft!

In a situation all too familiar from the cruise I did last year, the research ship the James Clark Ross is struggling through sea ice just tens of km away from base. I was lucky enough to get a place on a sea ice reconaissance flight/gratutious antarctic tourist outing on Thursday, and so found myself flying 15 m (yes really) above the ice at 210 mph. The seals basking on the ice looked closer than they did from the deck of the ship last year, though they didn't seem very suprised by the enormous red DASH-7 bird flying over them. On the way back we flew between the sharp snowy peaks of the island so close that you could see into the crevasses. It was great. ETAs for the ship, and its vital cargo of science kit and beer, have been varying widely and the subject of a sweepstake down at the Bonner lab (the prize is 11 cans of cider).

Aside from that excitment, I'm progressing well with my attempt to become the worlds slowest skier, and have started my training (well done one run, which makes two so far in 2005) for the Rothera 10 km race (5 laps round the runway of overexaggerated doom on Christmas eve). And on Thursday night, to mark a few peoples departure from base, we actually managed to drink the bar dry of cider...

Thats all for now folks, hope you're all well,

R x