Jon Johanson stranded in Antartica....

"Rich S." wrote in message
...


I went on to find Orange County (John Wayne to you kids)

Still Santa Ana to me.

"Rich S." wrote in message
...

Ahead of me, barely visible through the haze was El Toro Marine
Air Station.

Correction. Now that I think on it, it may have been a Navy Air base. Can't
remember and too lazy to look up a chart.

Rich S.

[Responding to two postings....]

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 10:37:38 -0800, "Richard Isakson"
wrote:

My brother over-wintered at Siple Station in Antartica about thirty years
ago. I called him today for his view on this. McMurdo Base is the main US
supply base for most US operations in Antartica. The New Zealand base is
"just around the corner, within walking distance". Most vehicles down there
run on diesel fuel but they would have some gasoline for Ski Doo type
vehicles.

The next question is, does the gasoline for the snow machines have alcohol
in it? Back when I was driving my '46 Willys in North Dakota, the engine
always ran very rough whenever the temperature went below zero. A can of
de-icer into the tank always cleared it up.

I don't know what model of Lycoming Johanson is running, but it's quite
possible he needs 100 octane, and almost a certainty that he needs fuel
*without* alcohol. May not have large stocks of that at McMurdo.

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 08:07:35 -0800, "Rich S."
wrote:

]"BllFs6" wrote:
]] While 80 gallons or so of fuel may not be much...we must ask a few
]] things....
]
]snip
]
]That must have been SOME headwind to burn an extra 80 gallons. . .

Ah, but *that's* where the meteobureaupolitical environment in Antarctica
comes to play. Here's a quote from an ex-Navy Antarctic C-130 pilot:

"At various times during the season one particular forecaster seemed to
have it out for the crews. He was in the unique position not only of
forecasting the weather but, as the NSF Duty Officer, of being responsible
for ensuring that all the missions scheduled on his watch went out on time.
So it was always suspect when--on his duty days, no matter what the actual
weather was-- all our forecasts were always exactly the weather minimums."
Page 68, _Flying Upside Down_, by Mark Hinebaugh

Johanson may have relied on a forecast that had been put together to
*enable* flight, not to warn pilots of actual conditions.

Ron Wanttaja

"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
...

Ah, but *that's* where the meteobureaupolitical environment in Antarctica
comes to play. Here's a quote from an ex-Navy Antarctic C-130 pilot:

"At various times during the season one particular forecaster seemed to
have it out for the crews. He was in the unique position not only of
forecasting the weather but, as the NSF Duty Officer, of being responsible
for ensuring that all the missions scheduled on his watch went out on
time.
So it was always suspect when--on his duty days, no matter what the actual
weather was-- all our forecasts were always exactly the weather minimums."
Page 68, _Flying Upside Down_, by Mark Hinebaugh

Johanson may have relied on a forecast that had been put together to
*enable* flight, not to warn pilots of actual conditions.

I have *always* found that forecasts were professional, objective, and
clear. And always followed by the caveat, "VFR flight not recommended in
Western Washington".

Rich S.

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 10:37:38 -0800 "Richard Isakson" wrote:

My brother over-wintered at Siple Station in Antartica about thirty years
ago. I called him today for his view on this. McMurdo Base is the main US
supply base for most US operations in Antartica. The New Zealand base is
"just around the corner, within walking distance". Most vehicles down there
run on diesel fuel but they would have some gasoline for Ski Doo type
vehicles. The main runway is built on sea ice and it will breakup within a
month. In January icebreakers will carve a path to McMurdo for supply ships
to get in but those ships are already loaded and on their way. Cruise ships
visit the area during the brief summer. My brother was surprised the they
made him sleep in the fuel shed. Even in the summer McMurdo has lots of

In the fuel shed? Nudge-nudge, *wink-wink*. Is he under constant
surveillance?

Sounds like really poor planning. Ever see the movie "Deer Hunter"?


R. Hubbell

"Mike Borgelt" wrote ...
I think this is a good argument for abandoning the Antarctic bases.
After 50 years surely the human presence can be replaced by a few
automatic weather stations and satellite surveillance and we Aussies,
Kiwis and Americans get to save some taxes?

I think I'll write to my Member of Parliament urging the zeroing of
Antarctic funding. The damn place is of no economic benefit by
international agreement. Just a playground for a bunch of scientists
who probably don't want anyone else getting in on their sweet little
racket. Just like the NASA people. What we have had in both the
Antarctic and space is tourism with high entry barriers and
qualifications for the tourists.

Antartica is diplomatically sensitive for America. By international treaty
its considered an free and open continent. Without borders. For the free
use of all ... (for the most part run by and for America.) From time to
time the treaty comes up for renewal and if one member withdraws the
continent reverts to its origonal state. Lands areas claimed by several
countries. Ill defined borders and large areas claimed by more than one
state. America has no legal land claims in Antartica. Add to this the
story that certain areas have large regions where a black oily substance
oozes from the rocks and you have a recipe for chaos. And America can't
claim ANY of it.

Rich

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 16:18:58 -0800 "Rich S." wrote:

"Rich S." wrote in message
...

Ahead of me, barely visible through the haze was El Toro Marine
Air Station.

Correction. Now that I think on it, it may have been a Navy Air base. Can't
remember and too lazy to look up a chart.

May have been the base in Tustin, can't remember the name of it. Huge
hangars.

R. Hubbell


Rich S.

Mike Borgelt wrote:

Last thought - I hope I someday get the chance to refuse to help one
of these bureaucrats when he's in trouble and needs my assistance.

These days you never know who may be a bureaucrat or future bureaucrat.
Therefore, I refuse to help anyone in need of assistance. I would imagine that
puts me in the same company as BOb again. ;-)

Russell Kent
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Poor me.
Constantly catching cacophonous crap.


All you Johanson bleeding hearts and Pollyannas, check this....

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20031212_101.html



Barnyard BOb - bah humbug

RR Urban wrote:

Poor me.
Constantly catching cacophonous crap.

If you didn't make such a rewarding target, you'd probably catch less. :-)

All you Johanson bleeding hearts and Pollyannas, check this....

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20031212_101.html

Either ABC News is mis-reporting (wow, what a shock... NOT.), or Lou Sanson ("chief
of Antarctica New Zealand, a government-funded research outfit") is mis-informed.
He is quoted as saying Johanson's trip was "ill-prepared and secret". The former is
arguable, the latter is flat-out false.

Russell Kent

"Rich S." wrote in message
...
"Rich S." wrote in message
...

Ahead of me, barely visible through the haze was El Toro Marine
Air Station.

Correction. Now that I think on it, it may have been a Navy Air
base. Can't
remember and too lazy to look up a chart.

You were probably over the old blimp base (with its two famous blimp
hangars), which was converted to a Marine helicopter training base for
Vietnam.