November 5, 2006

Destination: 90 degrees south Shinn recalls South Pole landing

By Steve Martaindale Sun staff International attention at the Related story inside: end of October 1956 was focused Pilot reviews Pole history on Hungary, where a student-initi- Page 9 ated uprising against occupying forces of the Soviet Union quickly bloomed into a full-fledged rebel- While they became only the third lion that left Soviet troops tempo- exploratory party to walk on the rarily reeling. A world caught up South Pole and the first airplane in the Cold War watched closely to land there, the success of their for a rip in the Iron Curtain, mostly mission threw open doors to a unaware of a different kind of cold permanent station that was under war playing out in Antarctica. construction in less than a month. On the morning of Oct. 31, It had been more than 44 years 1956, as the world received reports since anyone stood at the South Ben Twingley / Pensacola News Journal of Soviet troops pulling out of Pole, not since the two five-man Hungary, a seven-man Navy team Conrad “Gus” Shinn receives a plaque from Dave Bresnahan, parties of Amundsen and Scott representing the National Science Foundation Office of Polar left McMurdo Station for the arrived within five weeks of each Programs, commemorating Shinn’s feat to land the first plane South Pole with Lt. Cmdr. Conrad other. Flags of Norway and Great at the South Pole on Oct. 31, 1956. The ceremonies were at “Gus” Shinn piloting an R4D skied Britain flew there but neither the the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla. airplane named “Que Sera Sera.” See 1956 on page 8 Mayo Clinic takes study to great heights By Peter Rejcek tor for a research team from the Mayo Sun staff Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The group Scientists and support personnel arrived in early October at McMurdo have been traveling to the South Pole Station to begin a three-year study for nearly 50 years now, taking that on altitude illness called Altitude giant leap from sea level to nearly Symptoms at South Pole (ASAP). 3,000 meters on the polar plateau to “This go-around we’re just quan- further our understanding of the conti- tifying the frequency, intensity and nent, the world and the universe. duration of symptoms, and trying to Dr. Bruce D. Johnson wants to bet- come up with the key predictors that ter understand, in part, why that jump will increase your susceptibility to alti- in altitude affects some people more tude illness,” Johnson explained dur- Peter Rejcek / The Antarctic Sun severely than others. ing an interview at the Crary Science Mayo Clinic graduate student Maile Ceridon, left, outfits Steven Slay with a LifeShirt that he will Johnson is the principal investiga- See ALTITUDE on page 10 wear to bed at McMurdo and later at South Pole. INSIDE Quote of the Week Polies make good guests Just why is Arrival “A professional wouldn’t have a during layover Heights off-limits? good score here.” Page 3 Page 7 — McMurdo bowler on challenging lane conditions.

AntarcticSun.usap.gov 2 • The Antarctic Sun November 5, 2006

Camped out on the Ice

Eric Williams, left, grabs a few winks Oct. Cold, hard facts 28 after spending the night camping out- Hitting the Trail doors on the Ross Ice Shelf not far from New Zealand’s Scott Base. Number of various recreation trails Williams and the other around McMurdo Station area: 11 Happy Campers, below, learned polar survival Longest trail: Castle Rock Loop skills during the two- at 9.3 miles. Takes five to eight day course. Participants set up Scott tents, hours to complete, depending on built snow caves, and fitness level. learned general outdoor skills like how to use Highest point on the trail system: a gas camp stove. The Observation Hill at 750 feet, Field Safety Training which takes between one and Program conducts the class for scientists and two hours to complete, depend- others who may possi- ing on your level of effort. bly head into the field. Newest trail: Hut Point Ridge was added to the trail system in December 2004. The Antarctic The Sun Photos by Elaine Hood / Special to

The Antarctic Sun is funded by the National Level 1 Comix Matt Davidson Science Foundation as part of the United States Antarctic Program (OPP-000373). Its primary audience is U.S. Antarctic Program participants, their families, and their friends. NSF reviews and approves material before publication, but opinions and conclusions expressed in The Sun are not necessarily those of the Foundation. Use: Reproduction is encouraged with acknowledgment of source and author. Senior Editor: Peter Rejcek Editors: Steven Profaizer, Steve Martaindale Copy Editors: Jesse Hastings, Rob Jones, Traci Macnamara, Cori Manka, Melanie Miller, Erin Popelka, Bethany Profaizer, Travis Senor, Emily Stone Publisher: Valerie Carroll, Communications manager, RPSC Contributions are welcome. Contact The Sun at [email protected]. In McMurdo, visit our office in Building 155 or dial 2407. Web address: AntarcticSun.usap.gov Subscribe: Click on the link on the right side of the homepage and follow the directions. Editor’s note: We know there are no dogs allowed in Antarctica any more, but one must allow for some artistic latitude. Permits were still issued for sled dogs until the 1986-1987 austral summer, almost 10 years after the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 went into effect. November 5, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 3 Helpful Polies keep busy during delay

By Steven Profaizer Staff writer Lengthy delays on connecting flights are hardly uncommon. But have you ever seen a stranded pas- senger lend a hand to the airport janitors by mopping the floors or help the restaurant workers by scrubbing pots? U.S. Antarctic Program participants en route to the South Pole did just that during their 10-day weather delay in McMurdo Station. Many Polies helped out by show- ing up to work regular hours and complete training alongside their McMurdo coun- terparts. But South Pole workers whose jobs were not translatable just chipped in wherever they saw a need. “I kind of feel like we’re guests stay- ing longer than invited, so it’s my way of saying ‘thanks,’” said Leah Webster, a South Pole dining assistant who volun- teered in the dish room during her time in McMurdo. “Since I can’t get on a plane Steven Profaizer / The Antarctic Sun and go to the South Pole, it’s the next best thing I can do.” Polies could be found helping in a wide variety of ways, such as building pallets of cargo, repairing tents, shoveling snow and helping out in one of the departments most taxed by having a backlog of extra people on station — the dining hall. “They’ve been in the bakery, in the dish room, in the pot room and in the kitchen,” said Sally Ayotte, McMurdo executive chef. “In addition [to the South Pole food services staff], I’ve seen all kind of South Steven Profaizer / The Antarctic Sun Pole community members in here. I’ve seen IceCube folks, weather folks, cargo Top: Cathy Morrell, South Pole fuels operator, folks. They’ve all been helping.” searches through McMurdo’s Skua Central for The first four flights of the summer clothes to wear. Polies’ luggage remained on pal- carried 109 passengers and arrived at lets through most of the 10-day delay. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on Above: Flight notices alert Polies of the most Oct. 31. Serendipitously, this date coin- recent weather cancellations on Oct. 27. cided with the 50th anniversary of the first Left: Jake Cerese, South Pole baker, lends a hand flight to land at Pole, and the first flight of in the McMurdo kitchen. the season was dedicated as a commemo- Michelle Belacic / Special to The Antarctic Sun rative flight to mark the occasion. (See Passenger flights to McMurdo from first flight of that year was scheduled for related story on page 1.) Christchurch, New Zealand, had to be sus- Oct. 27 and arrived Nov. 8. This provided much-needed relief to pended until the first flights to Pole left and This season, extreme cold temperatures McMurdo’s bursting seams. With no place made space available, said Bill Turnbull, at Pole were to blame for the delay of for the Polies to go and more flights com- Antarctic Terminal Operations manager. flights to the South Pole station. The New ing in as scheduled, the station had swollen Fortunately, only one plane was affected York Air National Guard will not fly the to within 15 people of its 1,100-person before the South Pole flights left and the Hercules LC-130 aircraft in temperatures population cap. hold was lifted on the 104 in-bound pas- colder than negative 50 degrees Celsius Polies had to be stuffed into whatever sengers. because of the havoc it wreaks on the available space could be found around The 10-day delay marks the second planes and the resulting safety concerns. McMurdo. Some of the more unfortu- longest postponement of the South Pole’s “We have very strict guidelines for nate males were crammed into a 28-per- opening in more than a decade, according landing at temperatures below negative 50 son, claustrophobia-inducing bunk room to research extending back to 1992 by Ray degrees Celsius,” said Maj. Joe DeConno, in Hotel California, one of the station’s Gabriel, USAP transportation planner. supervisor of LC-130 flights last week. dorms. The room was dubbed “Man Camp” The longest delay belongs to the sum- “It’s mainly because of the temperature’s by its inhabitants, many of whom lived mer season of 1997-1998, when weather effect on the hydraulic fluids performance, there for three weeks during their time in conditions kept the new crew from reach- limitations on the fuel, and other mainte- McMurdo. ing the South Pole station for 12 days. The See WEATHER on page 6 4 • The Antarctic Sun November 5, 2006

Perspectives Perspectives Antarctic night shines bright with experiences By Rebecca Crane term memory loss. It took me 20 minutes Special to the Sun one morning to remember that “the thing “Remember, don’t touch any of them!” ... ya know ... where they keep all the “I’m not even getting near them. No way switches?” was called a fuse box. And am I catching the Crud!” while the kitchen crew worked culinary The six of us, all first-time winterovers, miracles given their limited resources, there were crowded around the dining hall win- came a point when I craved just the smell of dow. For the first time in many months, a fresh orange. a plane had just landed on our continent, People have been wintering for more bringing fresh food, new faces and for- than 100 years. A few I met this season eign germs. We had been quietly eating had done five or 10 winters themselves. breakfast, trying to appear blasé about the Humans are ingenious and adaptive, so first flight. After all, we were veteran win- in all that time, they’d figured out a few terovers now — tough, respectably surly tricks. types inured to the surreal novelties of life When it got dark, the community built on the Seventh Continent. At least we were a “sun room” with full-spectrum lighting, until the first moment newcomers trundled bright colors, running water, “Sounds of into view, swaddled in their Big Red par- Birdsong” on the stereo, even a few pre- kas. Suddenly, we were fascinated, jostling cious growing greenhouse plants. It was and pointing excitedly through the glass. my favorite place to curl up and read on “Hey! Is that so-and-so?” those blustery negative-30-degree days. “I can’t make anyone out under all those As for the cold, my extreme cold weath- hats!” er gear kept me pretty snug, but I was “Wow, I didn’t know he was coming surprised how well my body adapted on its back. Look, he shaved!” own. I remembered feeling, when I first “Don’t these people know it’s warm out stepped off the plane, as if my eyeballs today?” were going to freeze, but by Midwinter, I hadn’t intended to winter. I had come any temperature felt pleasant as long as it to McMurdo Station the previous summer wasn’t windy. as a janitor. Having recently graduated There was nothing to be done about the college, I’d wanted to “do something dif- lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, but we ferent.” Scrubbing stairwells in Antarctica Dan McCloskey / Special to The Antarctic Sun did have a phenomenal baker and fresh definitely fit the bill (not to mention giving Rebecca Crane at the Scott Base “Space bread every day. The mechanics all sent a me a clever answer to, “So, what do you do Heroes and Alien Invaders” party. Crane letter to Christina the baker’s mom thanking with a degree in philosophy?”). I was only decided to winter after spending her first her for the handed-down cookie recipes that meant to be on the Ice for a few months, summer at McMurdo Station as a janitor. kept them going in the cold (and warmly but I’d known early on that I was hooked. insulated with extra blubber). And for every I set out to find a winter job, pass the psy- general assistant, and discovered that the feeling of isolation and being far from chological screening, convince my bank rumors were true. It was dark, and it was home, there were memorable moments of that, yes, I was really in Antarctica, and cold. My skin turned so pale, even my warmth and intimacy shared by our 203- break the news to my family that I loved freckles disappeared. As the pace of life person town. and missed them but wouldn’t be home for became slower, quieter, more methodi- Meanwhile, the station kept running. another six months — and would they mind cal, my thoughts and actions followed People did their jobs, science got supported, sending some extra wool socks? suit. I began to consider “a whole hoard friendships were forged, and above it all, Since the days of sled dogs and frozen of people” to be any gathering larger than Antarctic stars continued to shine brighter seal meat, wintering over in the Antarctic four. I gave up shaving my legs (although I and clearer than any I’d ever seen. And has had a certain ominous mystique. The did shave my head) — but this was nothing after 170 days cut off from the outside long, icy darkness is rumored to have compared to the massive, grizzly beards world, my anticipation of the first flight strange effects on the mind and body. With grown by some of the razor-shunning men. rivaled childhood nights before Christmas. so little experience on Ice — only one There were sleepless nights, vivid My resolve to avoid the crud-carrying short, sunny summer — I wondered if I’d dreams, bouts of depression, grumpiness, newcomers lasted about two minutes. Then be able to handle it. But I’d come here to loneliness, giddiness, exhaustion, epiphany, I saw a returning friend from last summer see Antarctica, and I knew that Antarctica and at times, folks — myself included among the red coat crowd. I jumped up and still had more to show me. — just got weird. We also got “toasty,” gave him a hug. He laughed and gave me So I wintered, as the Heavy Shop’s staring off into space and suffering short- an orange. November 5, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 5

around the continent

SOUTH POLE Summer arrives at South Pole By Tom Lohr South Pole correspondent Temperatures warmed above the line of demarcation for safe flying Tuesday (negative 50 degrees Celsius). And to the glee of a marooned winter crew the New York Air National Guard delivered nearly 100 eager new Polies. And yes, they brought bananas. For a good hour after the first arrival of crew and cargo, the most dangerous place to be on Earth was between a winterover and the boxes of fresh fruit. No injuries were reported. Arriving 10 days later than planned for the summer season, the new crew has been hustling to fill the shoes of the rapidly disappearing winterovers. Many turnovers have been compacted from a three- or four-day transition for some into one or Ethan Dicks / Special to The Antarctic Sun two days. Emergency response teams sur- Liesl Schernthanner directs the first flight of summer as it moves along the South Pole skiway veyed their gear on Wednesday and started Oct. 31. The aircraft was the first of four that day bringing the season’s first supplies and per- training Thursday. sonnel to the station after a 10-day weather delay in McMurdo. (See related story on page 3.) The bristling new station is chock-a- block with Polies settling into their new South Pole’s high altitude, hammers are week. And sea water sampling continued digs, and the historic summer camp is fill- swinging, cargo is moving, data are being when the sea ice opened and the winds ing up quickly. Even some with years of collected and cutting-edge science is about lessened. ice time are insisting on a bunk in a tent- to move into high gear. The South Pole Andy Young, the Power/Water supervi- like building, unable to shake the rustic summer season has begun. sor and a mechanic at Palmer Station, gave lure of roughing it at the Pole. Others are a presentation about the research occur- plugging into the Internet portal in their ring in other parts of the continent where private room in the new Elevated Station. PALMER he has worked. Andy showed photos of Pushing mountains of drifted snow is McMurdo, field camps in the ice-free Dry part of the early operations, one of the Valleys and the Mount Erebus Volcano more mundane but important yearly tasks A week of mixed weather Observatory. He also showed photos from that clears the tons of accumulated ice By Kerry Kells when he assisted in the Long Duration crystals around many buildings. And the Palmer correspondent Balloon instrument payload retrieval from endless stream of cargo has already begun The past week included fluctuations in Dome Fuji, approximately 700 miles from to hit the skiway, with flights arriving until winds, snow and open water. the South Pole, considered one of the late in the evening. High winds led to calm conditions, most remote places on the continent. Through the flurry of meetings and ori- followed by snow, which led to drifting Updates from the Palmer field include entations that are required to kick start the ice enclosing Palmer Station. Then the reports from the seabird research group season, Polies are getting grounded and sunshine returned only to be followed by (the birders) on Adélie penguin censuses enthusiastic about this summer’s exciting high winds and sleet. The Ocean Search for the islands of Torgersen, Humble, new projects. Despite losing time, includ- and Rescue (OSAR) and Glacier Search Litchfield, Cormorant and Christine. ing a Sunday devoted to acclimatizing to and Rescue teams also started training this See CONTINENT on page 6

the week in weather

McMurdo Station Palmer Station South Pole Station High: 16F / -9C High temperature: 38F / 3C High: -41F / -40C Low: -8F / -22C Low temperature: 27F / -3C Low: -75F / -59C Max. sustained wind: 29 mph / 46 kph Max. sustained wind: 53 mph / 86 kph Peak wind: 21 mph / 34 kph Min. wind chill: -33F / -36C Melted precipitation: 25mm Max. Physio-altitude: 3,408 m 6 • The Antarctic Sun November 5, 2006 Weather allows first flights to Pole after 10 days From page 3 flags lining the skiway. They then use that data to line up their nance considerations that could prevent us from being able to landing in less than ideal weather conditions. get off the ground again.” It took 10 extra days, but the weather did eventually allow Other weather conditions at both the South Pole and the summer season to begin at the South Pole. In the meantime, McMurdo are also major concerns. This is especially true on the Polies grounded in McMurdo tried to make the best of the the first flight of each season when the Guard requires three situation by helping out and enjoying the perks of McMurdo. miles of visibility around the South Pole station as compared “People tried to take advantage of the fact that it’s much to the one mile it typically demands. warmer here — you can go skiing and there are places like the “Before we attempt an approach in marginal weather condi- Coffee House,” said BK Grant, South Pole station manager. tions, we need to make sure there are no changes to the skiway “There’s a lot of stuff that they appreciated having the time to as compared to last year,” said DeConno. do, but we also knew that there’s a ton of work that we have One of the things the crew looks for is confirmation that to do at Pole.” the radar signals received from the ground correlate with what it sees visually. Navigators use the radar signals to detect the Michelle Belacic, Pole dining assistant, contributed to this story.

Continent From page 5 The birders visit all of these islands “V for Vendetta,” and the rock group calmed enough by the following day to for research during the austral summer KISS reunited for Palmer Station. allow the crew to put the camp in. The ves- months when they are easily accessible The following day was spectacularly sel is now en route to Palmer Station. by Zodiac boat. warm with bright sunshine, just in time for The Adélies have started breeding and a day of boating to Old Palmer and walks NBP will start to lay eggs about the second up the glacier. Soon, we will welcome Compiled from reports week in November. Cormorant popula- the arrival of the Laurence M. Gould and by Harold “Skip” Owen tions are counted on Cormorant Island returning Principal Investigator Langdon Marine Projects coordinator every five days and with less frequency Quetin with team member Kelly Moore. The Nathaniel B. Palmer left port from at Elephant Rocks (a group of rocks just Lyttleton, New Zealand, Nov. 1 for its next north of Palmer and popular with elephant science cruise. The cruise includes a num- seals). A few gentoo and chinstrap pen- SHIPS ber of scientists involved in CORSACS guins have also been spotted on some – Controls on Ross Sea Algal Community islands, while a fur seal has made an early Structure. CORSACS will investigate the appearance on Torgersen Island. Sampling LMG interactive effects of iron, carbon dioxide continued at Station B and Station E last Compiled from reports by Eric Hutt and light levels in the Ross Sea on phy- week by the phytoplankton and biogeo- Marine Projects coordinator toplankton community structure and bio- chemical groups. The Laurence M. Gould left Punta geochemical cycling of various elements, Palmer celebrated Halloween on Arenas, Chile, on Oct. 28 southbound especially carbon, sulfur, iron and cobalt. Saturday night with a selection of cre- for the Drake Passage and the Antarctic The NBP is bound for the Ross Sea ative costumes. The pageantry included Peninsula. Its first stop was to put a camp polynya, an area of open water in the sea a walking TerraLab, Wesley and Princess in at Cape Shirreff. Halloween found the ice. The plan is to conduct a test of all ship Buttercup from “The Princess Bride,” a LMG waiting for rough seas to abate so it systems before reaching the ice edge. The Guy Fawkes-masked V from the movie could safely establish the camp. The seas vessel should reach the ice edge by Nov. 6.

What is the best contribution of the work in Antarctica?

“It keeps people “The creation of “When we come like us out of Antarctica as a here to work, society, and that continent devot- people back home ain’t bad.” ed to peaceful, don’t have to non-exploiting deal with us for uses and with no a while. I think sovereign that is a great government by gift we give our the Antarctic families.” Matt Marchal, Hugh Ducklow, Treaty.” Nicolas Michel-Hart, McMurdo carpenter principal investigator for South Pole from Missoula, Mont., the Palmer LTER site cryogenic technician first season from Williamsburg, Va., from Bow, Wash., ninth season first season November 5, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 7 INTO THE FORBIDDEN ZONE Arrival Heights home to sensitive experiments By Steve Martaindale Sun Staff By the time even the newest McMurdo Station residents are dragging luggage to their dorm rooms, they have heard about Research associ- Arrival Heights. They may not know what ate Steve Dobbs it is, but they do know it is off-limits. works in the Arrival Heights Why? Is it like the forbidden fruit in the office last month. Garden of Eden? Will trespassing there set Dobbs makes off an international incident? Will it kill daily trips to the me? area, which is “We’re not trying to be nasty or any- generally off- thing,” assures research associate Steve limits to casual Dobbs, whose job entails daily trips into visits because of the sensitive sci- the forbidden zone. Like so many rules in ence experiments Antarctica, the area is designated off-limits conducted there. in the interest of science. Arrival Heights sits at a higher eleva- tion than McMurdo. It is barely a kilometer from station, yet the terrain shelters it from both McMurdo and Scott Base. That is part Steve Martaindale / The Antarctic Sun of what makes the location special. Northern Hemisphere. sary reasons. Dobbs, for example, makes Indeed, it was awarded special protec- “That’s a very low intensity source,” he the short uphill drive to check on the equip- tion in 1975 after a proposal by the United says, “and you don’t want to have some- ment, look for problems, record data and States on the grounds that it was “an elec- body who’s operating a radio transmitter back up files. Research assistants from tromagnetic and natural ‘quiet site’ offer- because that would mess up the signal that Scott Base also monitor experiments. ing ideal conditions for the installation of you want.” The key, though, is that everyone who sensitive instruments for recording minute Allan T. Weatherwax of Siena College is has a need to enter the site is trained on signals associated with upper atmosphere one of the researchers taking advantage of what to do and what not to do. Logs are programs.” the site’s quietness. maintained to keep researchers apprised of The site is now designated Antarctic “The projects that operate from instru- what is going on. If Dobbs must venture Specially Protected Area No. 122 by mentation at the Arrival Heights labora- into the field among some of the anten- the Scientific Committee on Antarctic tory at McMurdo Station examine natu- nas and sensors, his presence could give a Research, an inter-disciplinary committee ral phenomena occurring in the Earth’s researcher false readings. A check against of the International Council for Science. atmosphere and magnetosphere,” he says. the log would indicate the probable source At the committee’s spring 2004 meeting, it His instruments are easily disturbed by of such data. recognized that the site would benefit from mechanical and electrical noise and rely on Guidelines dictate that researchers stay continued protection. the solitude there. in designated areas and that they do not Quietness, Dobbs explains, covers more As special as Arrival Heights is, the cur- leave vehicles idling. A radio is to be oper- than noise abatement. The experiments rent management plan for the area states ated only in the event of an emergency. there “either require electromagnetic quiet- that base operation and radio communica- Lights are not allowed, which means the ness, clean air or lack of light pollution.” tion activities have degraded the “quiet” associate must turn off the vehicle lights An experiment that depends on air conditions to some degree, but it says short of the site in the winter and drive the sampling, for example, would only run conditions are good enough to deserve con- remaining distance in the dark. when the wind was from a prescribed tinued protection. Once Dobbs parks his pickup and plugs direction, thus eliminating airborne mate- And that is where cooperation from in the engine heater, he enters the American rials from the two bases. Dobbs says McMurdo and Scott Base residents is hut, the brain center for about half a dozen another experiment in the low frequency important. experiments he monitors. The main area is ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum People are allowed on Arrival Heights, roomy enough and holds various tables and is trying to detect lightning strikes in the obviously, but only for specific and neces- work spaces. However, one’s eye is drawn to an L-shaped rack of monitors, displays and switches, steadily performing their The experiments automated tasks. at Arrival Heights A small, adjacent room is equipped with generally require a bed, a supply of food and a cooking uten- electromagnetic qui- etness, clean air or sil, just in case bad weather pins someone lack of light pollu- down. tion. The site is des- Of course, it is the view from outside the ignated an Antarctic hut that attracts the attention of most people, Specially Protected with distant mountain ranges and smoking Area. Mount Erebus visible on the horizon. “If you want to see [the view] take the Elaine Hood / Special to The Antarctic Sun Castle Rock Loop,” Dobbs says. 8 • The Antarctic Sun November 5, 2006 1956 flight ended race to South Pole

From Page 1 banner of the United States nor the Soviet Union, two superpowers struggling for dominance everywhere from deep seas to outer space. Looking back 50 years after winning the race south, Shinn says today that he was told getting to the South Pole was a priority for the very reason that the United States wanted to set up camp before its rival did so. “Admiral [George S.] Dufek made a talk sometime after we got to McMurdo and said that we had to get up there [to the South Pole] quickly because he thought the Russians would pre-empt us,” Shinn said from his home in Pensacola, Fla. “He never discussed it with us other than that. There was no pre-planning. As far as that goes, he wanted to go to the Pole, so we went.” He said the men who worked to build the stations in Antarctica never got the recognition they deserved.

“Everybody was watching the Hungarian Image provided by National Science Foundation / Special to The Antarctic Sun uprising and nobody paid much attention This painting of the first landing at the South Pole will be displayed at the new South Pole to what was going on in the Antarctic,” station. It is autographed by Lt. Cmdr. Conrad “Gus” Shinn, the pilot who made the landing Shinn said. 50 years ago. Fifty years after the first airplane landed at the Pole, Shinn still retells his story, Freeze,” says that Hawkes, in light of his the plane would leak fluids. though it seems he would just as soon experience and qualifications, was Dufek’s After circling the area to pinpoint the have his questioner learn about it from a original choice to pilot the flight but that location of the Pole, Shinn landed the plane book. On numerous occasions, he insists Hawkes yielded to the younger Shinn and atop moderately rough sastrugi (wavelike he was merely doing his job, along with opted to fill the co-pilot’s seat. ridges of hard snow) without incident other men, and he gives much of the credit The flight to the Pole itself was not and kept the engines running. He said the to good luck. He quickly sheds mention of much different from other flights, Shinn seven men climbed out into temperatures honors, such as the naming of Antarctica’s said. What set it apart was the landing itself of minus 51 Celsius (-60 F) to plant an third-highest mountain, Mount Shinn. and the fact nobody really knew what the American flag and take photos. In less than “I never paid any attention to any of conditions were. 50 minutes, they were boarding the “Que that stuff. In retrospect, I realize that I was strictly focused on the job at hand and I did my best to do it safely and on time. And I was lucky. I didn’t have any significant “We didn’t really know what the surface was incidents or any engine failures, which and how much we’d sink in, if any. We didn’t were quite numerous down there. I was know the nature of the surface and didn’t know lucky and everybody was happy.” how easy it would be to take off.” ‘Your crew is going’ — Gus Shinn In the wee hours of Oct. 31, 1956, word First pilot to land at South Pole was sent down that the Pole flight would take off at 8 a.m. Other pilots wanted the mission, but Shinn said he did not really “We had a lot of unknown unknowns,” Sera Sera” to return to McMurdo. think about the admiral’s decision. “He just said, ‘Your crew is going,’ and Shinn said. “We didn’t really know what Hopes for an easy takeoff were quickly I said, ‘OK, fine; it’s not a problem.’” the surface was and how much we’d sink dashed as they found the plane’s skis fro- Shinn said his crew normally consisted in, if any. We didn’t know the nature of the zen to the ice and the craft unable to taxi. of co-pilot Capt. Douglas Cordinor, navi- surface and didn’t know how easy it would It was equipped with 15 JATO (jet-assisted gator Lt. John R. Swadener, crew chief be to take off.” takeoff) bottles, essentially rockets fas- John P. Strider and radioman William A. All they knew about conditions was that tened to the plane to provide additional Cumbie Jr. However, Dufek put Capt. they were CAVU — ceiling and visibility thrust in 30-second burns to assist a plane William “Trigger” Hawkes into the copi- unlimited. Among the things they did not during takeoff. He fired them off four at lot’s seat while the admiral and Cordinor know was if the airplane would continue to a time until the plane broke free. He used flew as observers. operate after sitting in South Pole tempera- the final three bottles to help the craft clear Dian Olson Belanger’s new book, “Deep tures, if the hydraulics would work and if See SHINN on page 11 November 5, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 9 Pilots today benefit from work of pioneers By Steve Martaindale Sun staff Thousands of kilometers and 18 time zones apart, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica and the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla., came together on Oct. 31. Both sites hosted ceremonies commemo- rating the 50th anniversary of the first airplane landing at the South Pole. Special guest at the Pensacola celebration was Navy Lt. Cmdr. Conrad “Gus” Shinn, pilot of the airplane whose safe landing and takeoff at the Pole paved the way for a permanent presence there by the United States. Providing additional fanfare to the South Pole ceremony was the fact that it also marked the first flight of this season, an event delayed 10 days by extreme weather. Joining the first wave of summer work- ers on that flight were National Science Courtesy of Mark Doll / Special to The Antarctic Sun Foundation representative Brian Stone and Fifty years, to the minute, after the first airplane landed at the South Pole, this crew set down Air Force Col. Ronald Smith, commander on Oct. 31. From left to right are 1st Lt. Brian Shad, Lt. Col. Marc LeCours, Sgt. Justin Taylor, Sgt. Tim Putman, Master Sgt. Joe Thorpe, 1st Lt. Dan Urband and Lt. Col. Mark Doll. of the Joint Task Force, Support Services Antarctica. Piloting the first flight of the season was Maj. Norman Carlyle. It landed the topic, not only because of a longtime the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air at 11 a.m. and a short time later was en interest in the history of polar aviation National Guard. “It’s a prepared skiway, so route back to McMurdo Station, the first of but also due to the scores of landings he it’s not really the adventure it used to be.” four airplanes to make the flight that day. has made at the South Pole. This is his There is also a better safety net today, he The final mission of the day was also 10th Antarctic tour in the past 11 seasons, said, with a support structure that can usu- significant to the anniversary. It was sched- making up to six flights per week for the ally respond to trouble in a matter of hours. uled to land about the same time of the day 10-week duration of his stay. A support system existed in 1956, too, as the 1956 flight. Its pilot, New York Air Indeed, it would be easy to assume but Shinn said the extreme conditions National Guard Lt. Col. Mark Doll, carried landing at the Pole has become routine exacted a price. letters addressed to the two surviving crew with 372 flights scheduled this season, but “If you read the record of the accidents members of that flight and other honorees. Doll says the extreme conditions are still a we had down there,” Shinn said in an earlier They were to be postmarked from the South challenge to both man and machine. interview, “I think we had more accidents Pole on the anniversary date. Just like Shinn did in 1956, pilots today than any other Navy squadron for a couple keep the engines running while on the of years. … [We were] losing aircraft all Flight to the past ground at the South Pole. That means over and we were real lucky we didn’t lose As Doll prepared for his first flight of workers must deal with propeller blast in a lot of people. We lost some, but not a lot, the season to the South Pole, one of dozens addition to normal winds and temperatures considering what we were doing.” he is likely to make during the next few well below zero. weeks, he tried to put himself into the seat For Doll’s LC-130, a cargo plane capa- Right on time of the “Que Sera Sera,” a U.S. Navy R4D ble of landing on skis, the challenges of Doll’s own flight through history left skied aircraft, which made the first landing cold weather can include fuel that may gel McMurdo much later in the day than at 90 degrees south exactly 50 years prior. a bit, sluggish hydraulics on the skis and Shinn’s. The original flight took about “I think there had to be a strong sense “cold controls.” He said the engines have seven and a half hours while today’s takes of the challenge of getting this accom- trouble maintaining temperature and their only about three. plished,” Doll said of Gus Shinn while seals can start leaking fluids. “On the approach,” Doll said of his anni- sipping coffee in the McMurdo Station Advances in technology during the versary run, “it was busy because the weath- dining facility. past 50 years have made many aspects er wasn’t the best and I had a new co-pilot “I don’t think the pilot’s attitude would of the journey safer, but they have done in the right seat who had never been there have been one of adventure, not one of little to make airplanes better capable of before. It was busy, but I did stop and reflect delight, but one of a deep challenge and a operating at such low temperatures. The on what I saw out there — a very well-devel- sense of commitment to make sure that this threshold for flying to the Pole is minus oped station. … When they first went out goes off well. … That was probably his 50 degrees Celsius, roughly the same tem- there, there was absolutely nothing. It was overriding thought during the course of the perature Shinn and his crew found when flat white to the horizon everywhere.” whole mission, to see that this thing went they landed. On the final stretch of the trip, Doll off without a hitch.” Doll said pilots today benefit from the said that he saw they would be close to the History shows that the first landing at experiences of Shinn and other pilots since target time of 8:34 Greenwich Mean Time the South Pole, on Oct. 31, 1956, had a him. (9:34 p.m. local), “so I started playing hitch or two but nothing the pilot and crew “We have the knowledge that it’s a with the speed a little bit just to make sure were not able to overcome. routine flight, done many times over,” he we got as close as we could and ended up Doll is particularly qualified to address said. All the LC-130 flights are handled by landing five seconds early.” 10 • The Antarctic Sun November 5, 2006 Altitude study finds Pole to be perfect laboratory From page 1 and Engineering Center, where the team is screening patients in a small lab room adjacent to the aquarium. The group is hoping to recruit 150 people for this year’s field season, with the goal of capturing statistics and data on 300 individuals during the team’s two deploy- ing seasons. Johnson said the South Pole serves as an ideal laboratory for this kind of study for several reasons. At approximately 2,800 meters, the Pole represents a mod- erately high altitude where many people may reasonably travel or live as opposed to extreme Mount Everest-type heights. People traveling to Pole represent a broad but very healthy cross-section of people in terms of demographics and physiology rather than a sub-group of elite climbers. In addition, people en route to the bot- tom of the world start at the same baseline, as they travel through Christchurch, New Zealand, and on to McMurdo Station, which are both at sea level. “What’s unique about the South Pole, about the Antarctic, is that it’s a very struc- tured population,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of a unique laboratory setting here.” Peter Rejcek / The Antarctic Sun And what is unique about going to Research physiologist Andy Miller administers a pulmonary function test using a spirometer altitude at Pole is the climb itself. Most to Red Mathieson late last month in a lab adjacent to the aquarium in the Crary Science and people arrive at 90 degrees south on a U.S. Engineering Center. Air National Guard LC-130 ski-equipped “We do know how quickly you go to Last summer, he said, was a mild year for plane, rocketing to elevation in the course altitude does play a role in the symptoms altitude illness, with the clinic recording of about three hours. [of altitude illness],” Johnson said. “We’re only a dozen visits and one case of HAPE. While the physical altitude of the South trying to quantify does cold play a role, Normally, the clinic averages 20-plus cases Pole is 2,800 meters, a couple of factors does activity play a major role.” of altitude sickness during the summer. can change the equation dramatically. At The team has already recruited about “I suspect a growing awareness on the South Pole, the barometric air pres- 120 volunteers. Amnesty Kochanowski, a the part of veteran managers of the need sure averages about 20 percent lower than South Pole air cargo handler on her second to go easy on people for the first couple expected for that elevation. Atmospheric season, said that as an outdoor person who days, plus our opening on Saturdays sev- pressure is the weight of the overlying regularly hikes at altitude she was eager to eral seasons running (so people get a rest air column. As altitude increases, pres- participate in the study. day), plays a role here,” Silva wrote in an sure decreases. Under less pressure, oxy- “Living high in Colorado and climbing e-mail, explaining last year’s decline in gen molecules are more widely dispersed high in the mountains, I’ve seen how [alti- clinic visits. throughout the atmosphere, making the air tude] affects people,” said Kochanowski, Serious cases of HAPE or HACE feel thinner. Cold only exacerbates the pro- from Grand Lake near Rocky Mountain do periodically occur at the South Pole, cess, meaning greater variability in what’s National Park. “I wanted to be sure I was according to Silva, and require immedi- called physiological altitude as pressure involved.” ate evacuation back down to sea level. drops, particularly during the cold winter In 2002, he sent three patients back to months. Some South Pole stats McMurdo, one of whom was deteriorat- The physiological altitude at Pole can Mild symptoms of altitude illness ing with cerebral edema. Silva stressed typically hit 3,500 meters and has gone as include headache, fatigue, shortness of that low-level activity is key to successful high as about 3,783 meters. (For a more breath, nausea, lack of appetite and light- acclimatization. detailed explanation of physiological alti- headedness. More severe cases can result “Once again, the most important thing tude, see the Feb. 2, 2003, issue of The in High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), is to do as much nothing as possible the Antarctic Sun at antarcticsun.usap.gov.) which causes swelling of the brain due to first two days,” he noted. “Vigorous exer- Aside from having to adapt to the fluid leakage, and High Altitude Pulmonary cise before acclimatization is a major risk physiological shifts in altitude, many Edema (HAPE), which involves fluid leak- factor for HAPE, which can be rapidly Polies hit the ground running to squeeze ing into the lungs and impairing the trans- fatal if untreated.” every working minute possible out of the fer of oxygen to the blood stream. To quantify that factor and others, the relatively short austral summer season, Dr. Will Silva served as the South Pole ASAP team performs a series of tests which generally lasts from late October to physician for the last year and has done early February. a total of three full years at the station. See RESEARCHERS on page 11 November 5, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 11 Researchers looking into altitude’s effect on sleep From page 10 “In contrast, those with HAPE have before subjects leave McMurdo. Each per- audible pulmonary congestion with rales son fills out a questionnaire that captures (crackles) and sometimes a little wheezing, basic medical history and general activity and O2 [saturation] in the high 60s to mid level, along with information regarding 70s by the time they arrive in Medical, and such things as previous trips to Pole and are often coughing up a little pink froth,” whether someone has a history of motion he wrote from Pole. or carsickness. Although HAPE cases occur, what ASAP staff members then draw blood Johnson says are “life-threatening mal- and perform several physiological tests to adaptations” to altitude affect relatively determine such things as lung function and few people at South Pole. “Our labora- capacity and oxygen saturation — the per- tory has evidence that there are likely centage of arterial hemoglobin saturated much more subtle changes in lung fluid with oxygen. Subjects continue to fill out balance in a larger percentage of people Lt. Com. Conrad “Gus” Shinn daily symptoms worksheets for seven days going to altitude than previously appreci- after reaching the South Pole. ated,” he said. “What we’re trying to get at is if The other device the group is using is [subjects] have symptoms, how severe a BodyMedia activity monitor, which is Shinn looks they are and try to relate that back to worn around the upper arm. The unit pos- their blood work, function test, genet- sesses a number of bells and whistles, such back 50 years ics, to how well they’re sleeping, how as an accelerometer that detects movement much their activity is,” explained Maile in any direction and a galvanometer that From page 8 Ceridon, a Mayo graduate student work- measures skin temperature. The device is the surface in the thin air at an elevation of ing with the ASAP team. “We’ve got able to work out the metabolic rate and 2,835 meters. a number of things we’re trying to do tell the researchers the kinds of activities Shinn and his crew proved it possible to comparisons on.” a person is doing, from walking to running land at the South Pole and take off again. The medical team will collect additional to standing still. With that confirmation, further trips deliv- information about sleep habits and activ- “It does a very good job at quantifying ering men and cargo began on Nov. 19, ity levels from a smaller group, about 50 what we are doing,” Johnson said. with Navy Seabees unloading in the prop subjects, using Vivometric LifeShirts and blasts as the pilots stayed ready to take off BodyMedia activity monitors. The bigger picture at the earliest moment. Much of the cargo The shirts monitor an array of physi- By identifying people who get various was delivered by air drop. ological responses during sleep, such strains of altitude illness and matching that If the purpose of Shinn’s mission was to as rapid eye movement, or REM, and data with their physiological, chemical and learn, what was the greatest lesson? brain activity. The sleeveless black vest genetic profiles, researchers may be able “The main thing was, don’t go down also has a voice recorder to tape snoring isolate certain markers that pre-dispose when it’s minus 60 [degrees Fahrenheit],” noises. There is some evidence, Johnson people to altitude sickness. he said. “That was too cold for the equip- said, that people who snore or have sleep “Physicians could use that algorithm ment. At that temperature, the snow or apnea may be more prone to altitude ill- and tell people if you have this background the ice was more like sand. You’re not ness. Subjects wear the shirts one night you need to spend more time at moderate able to taxi [in such thin air]. … Once while in McMurdo and then during their altitudes adapting or you need to be less we learned how to do it and once the first night at South Pole to determine active when you go to altitude … or take temperature got up to minus 40, it wasn’t how the sudden increase in altitude may medication,” Johnson said. a real big deal.” affect sleep. Interests in this type of research go In fact, he said, some flights were able Sleep may play an important role in well beyond altitude studies, according to make the round trip without refueling. acclimatization because a person’s ability to Johnson. Agencies like NASA could When necessary, refueling was achieved to adapt early to altitude relies mainly on use the data to calculate ideal pressur- at a site established at the foot of the breathing, which increases to compensate ization for long-term spaceflights. The Beardmore Glacier. for the lower partial pressure of oxygen at study also has implications for research Shinn made numerous flights to the higher elevations. During sleep, a person on heart and lung diseases, which share Pole, he said, but he’s not sure how many. naturally breathes slower; someone with some of the same pathology as altitude Today, he is retired in Pensacola. At 84, difficulties, such as apnea, will have peri- illness, particularly concerning low oxy- he said he’s taking life easy while enjoy- ods where the arterial oxygen levels in the gen levels and constriction of blood ves- ing the company of a clutter of cats and a blood will drop, which becomes even more sels in the lungs. small dog. prominent at altitude. “There is a lot of synergy between dis- “I asked Admiral Dufek what he was Silva said that new arrivals at South ease and humans trying to adapt to high doing in 1975 and he said, ‘raising roses,’ Pole usually have an oxygen saturation altitude,” Johnson said. and I thought that was pretty funny. And of about 87 to 89 percent (at sea level, I guess if I told him right now that I had saturation is normally at 97 to 99 percent). NSF-funded research in this story: a bunch of cats, he would think it was Individuals struggling to acclimate can Dr. Bruce Johnson, Mayo Clinic, mayo funny.” drop into the low to mid 80s. research.mayo.edu/mayo/research/asap/. 12 • The Antarctic Sun November 5, 2006 Profile Something better every day By Steve Martaindale Sun Staff Trace the whirlwind that has been Jared Sibbitt’s life the past 2½ years and it may have all started when he realized Cuba was only about “a half-inch on the map from the Bahamas.” Sibbitt has since provided tsunami relief aid in Sri Lanka, been an observer for human rights in Haiti and is now a janitor at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Oh, yes, he also teaches salsa dancing. They may seem disjointed, but each stage of his journey fits into his personal philosophy to make something better every day. His interest in Antarctica dates back to his childhood in Alaska and a friend’s broth- er who spent several seasons at McMurdo as a firefighter. Eventually, Sibbitt became a wildland firefighter while attending col- lege at Northern Arizona University. He, too, applied for a job on the Ice, but not as a firefighter. “When I did fire, I did wildland, and there are not nearly enough trees to burn down here. The way I fight fires, I dig a line with a tool and burn out, but you can’t really dig a line down the middle of the galley and back burn.” Steve Martaindale / The Antarctic Sun The 25-year-old Flagstaff resident did Jared Sibbitt and dance partner Lisa Purvis exhibit their moves during the salsa dance class fall back on his fire fighting experience to Sibbitt teaches at McMurdo Station. He says he considers dancing to be like any other skill land the janitor job, however, pointing out — people are not born dancers but can learn to be through practice. that he spent his down time cleaning the fire station. to offer relief to the more than 1 million Haiti — as an observer during a heated pres- Shortly after college in 2004 and fin- displaced people, non-attached relief help idential election. When his group received ishing his third consecutive season as a was discouraged. word that a truckload of stolen ballots was firefighter, Sibbitt treated himself to a trip However, Sibbitt said he and his best being destroyed, he made photographs that to the Bahamas, partly because he was able friend, Mattie, made connections with an were picked up by international media. to buy an inexpensive ticket online. Since orphanage in the southern Sri Lankan state “Jared is an angel on the ground,” wrote Cuba was so close, he decided to fly to of Galle and arrived there on Feb. 7, 2005. Hurah President Tom Luce via e-mail, Havana. Any concerns they would not be useful “meaning he has an extremely rare com- “That was my first big trip out of the were immediately dispelled. bination of idealism and pragmatism for country and it opened my eyes a little bit,” “There was so much work to be done, his own survival, as well as with those he Sibbitt said after spending the day cleaning you could just pick your project,” he said. is serving.” buildings at McMurdo. “You know: You want to work in the Sibbitt, who is usually spotted around He had been planning a trip to Guatemala orphanage? Go here. You want to clean station wearing a Hawaiian shirt, admitted to meet friends he made on his first journey ditches? Go over here. You want to clean that working in Antarctica may not offer the when the events of Dec. 26, 2004, captured rubble? Go here. You want to build houses? opportunity to affect people as dramatically the world’s attention. Go there. There was so much going on that as in Sri Lanka or Haiti, but he still has a One of the most powerful earthquakes there was no reason to not be there.” mission. on record struck in the Indian Ocean off the The fact that he was committed to three Salsa. west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Sliding and a half months made him a rather valu- A “cute gal who was a salsa instructor” plates of the earth’s crust underneath the able commodity. He hooked up with Project convinced him to take lessons sometime ocean displaced tremendous volumes of Galle and, with hardly any other qualifica- back. Even though he stepped on his part- water, setting off tsunamis that affected tions besides his commitment to stay, he ners’ feet and “sometimes other people’s most of the coast of the Indian Ocean. was put in charge of building permanent partners’ feet,” he stuck with it, partly According to the United Nations, housing. Many evenings, he also worked at because of the instructor and partly because 186,983 people were killed and 42,883 oth- the orphanage with Mattie. he said it is addictive. ers are still missing. In the island nation of “It is the hardest thing I have ever done,” Teaching the Monday class not only Sri Lanka, which sits east of the southern he said. gives others a chance to learn a new skill tip of India, 35,322 people died. As nations In January 2006, Sibbitt signed on with but also assures he has dancing partners. and non-governmental organizations rallied Hurah — Human Rights Accompaniment in And the whirlwind continues.