Interesting Work

[crosscountry]

This is what I've been doing for the last few days. It's been fun and challenging. Lots of physical labor and mental focus. We've been installing scientific equipment on the plane that we'll fly in Antarctica. It's a DC3 that's been modified and updated to the newest equipment including turboprops and avionics.

Check out the photos and story here (http://www.blog.crosscountryadventures.us/)

and a picture
http://photos2.crosscountryadventures.us/albums/2008/October/01Plane/normal_DSC09560.jpg

[BigDon]

How long you going to be down there CC?

[BigDon]

And has anybody ever driven a motorcycle across the South Pole?

[crosscountry]

I plan to do it!

I'll be down there for a month this season. Next year the project may last longer. What's cool is that I'll also have time to travel in New Zealand.

maybe a snowmobile :D

[Neverfly]

You gotta be kiddin' me..

How do you people GET these Kick Butt Jobs?!
I fit Pipes.

C'mon- somone hook my up here... I can work hard (Or is that a liability?)!

[Salty]

Thanks for the photo. I love airplanes and cherish DC-3's.

CC on a motorcycle across Antartica! Man, I could never bring myself to do that, even in a car. It gets cold, down there.

[crosscountry]

Thanks for the photo. I love airplanes and cherish DC-3's.

CC on a motorcycle across Antartica! Man, I could never bring myself to do that, even in a car. It gets cold, down there.


It's a great plane. Check the link to see more photos.

[Swift]

crosscountry

I just came across this article on CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/29/antarctica.basins/index.html). Is this the research group you are with (there can't be that many groups flying DC3s over the Antarctic)?

A team of scientists will use a World War II-era plane to explore one of the last uncharted regions of Earth, in hopes of learning more about climate change.

The four-year effort, which kicks off in December, aims to unveil what lies beneath the thick Antarctic ice sheet known as the Aurora and Wilkes Subglacial Basins -- an area about half the size of the United States.

....

Siegert will be joined on the expedition by colleagues from the University of Texas at Austin and the Australian Antarctic Division.

[hhEb09'1]

Very cool :)

[Torsten]

Right on! What an adventure. I have a serious case of envy now.

[BigDon]

Crosscountry, as I think 48F is terribly cold, I'll let you do my Antartic adventuring for me. Tell me about it when you get a chance. :)

[BigDon]

I plan to do it!

I'll be down there for a month this season. Next year the project may last longer. What's cool is that I'll also have time to travel in New Zealand.

maybe a snowmobile :D

What!?! No bike with the ice racing, spiked tires? I'm so disappointed!

[LotusExcelle]

I second Neverfly's question. How do you get a kick-butt job like that!? I'm an ASE Master Tech for Heavy and for Light vehicles. Friggity frachen!

[selden]

If you want fascinating jobs in far-off places, you have to go looking for them.
Different scientific research teams are working everywhere, although funding is harder to come by these days. Some places to start are the online job advertisements of any major research university.

[crosscountry]

crosscountry

I just came across this article on CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/29/antarctica.basins/index.html). Is this the research group you are with (there can't be that many groups flying DC3s over the Antarctic)?


That's the one. I'm actually on a side project but flying in the same plane and using some of the same data. I haven't met Siegert personally, but I have met his post doc. Don Blankenship (also mentioned in the article) is the American counterpart and works with my adviser across the hall from me.

[crosscountry]

Here is the link to a local news press release (http://www.ig.utexas.edu/research/projects/icecap/)

Jack Holt is my adviser.
And here (http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/news/rels/102808.html)


These are Jacks photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/drjackholt/JKBInAustin

[davidlpf]

Sounds like a cool job.

[Swift]

That's the one. I'm actually on a side project but flying in the same plane and using some of the same data. I haven't met Siegert personally, but I have met his post doc. Don Blankenship (also mentioned in the article) is the American counterpart and works with my adviser across the hall from me.
That is just completely freaking cool. Have a blast.

[Tinaa]

Keep up your blog. I have fun living vicariously through you.

[BigDon]

Well I just want to say one thing before you fly off into the land of "Oh Jesus, that's cold!"



Your avatar still looks like a close up of a tiger woman's bosum to me.

Be safe friend.

[KaiYeves]

The people here do such cool stuff.

[geonuc]

Crosscountry - what will be your specific duties on the expedition?

[crosscountry]

Right now I'm a graduate student, so I'm not in charge in any way. I'll install the equipment and make sure it works during test flights. During the real flights I'll be there to monitor and help make decisions about where we go - although that has mostly been resolved already. And upon returning it will be my job to sort through the data analyze it for future publications and eventually a part of my thesis.

But mostly while down there I'll be one of the the equipment guys that gets everything running properly. Plus I'll take lots of pictures.

[BigDon]

You know of course, if you hadn't done so already, you have to read H.P. Lovecraft's At The Mountains Of Madness .That was another aerial survey of Antartica. I hope your's goes better than their's. (Though they did make fantastic discoveries.)

[crosscountry]

wasn't aware of that one. should I read it after getting back? I just finished rereading The Last Man on the Moon and am looking for my next book to read.

[BigDon]

Lovecraft was better at the short story than novel, so it sort of reads like a collection of short stories, but once past that, it's alright.

Just thought you would like his take on Antartic exploration.

And if you hear a flute playing where there shouldn't be any flautists and you see the penguins running like Hell away from there, follow the penguins!

[crosscountry]

haha, I doubt I'll see many penguins, but maybe at McMurdo. Normally I don't read terror books, is it worth it to change genres?

[Jay200MPH]

That's really cool. Always wanted to go down there.
My work is sending me off to Indonesia again next week but that's nowhere near as exciting. Warmer though, I'll admit.

- J

[HenrikOlsen]

And if you hear a flute playing where there shouldn't be any flautists and you see the penguins running like Hell away from there, follow the penguins!
Apart from the flute part, it's good general advice.
If the local wildlife starts running away there's probably a good reason.

[BigDon]

haha, I doubt I'll see many penguins, but maybe at McMurdo. Normally I don't read terror books, is it worth it to change genres?

Actually its a bit laborious. Written in 1931 so it's a bit dated in writting style, but at least it isn't ol' Farmer Johnson in disguise causing the problems.

[BigDon]

A Colour Out Of Space was a long short story that was much more horrifying.

Meteor comes down on a rural farm. Written in 1927. Very Bad Things begin to happen. And when the horror level is maxed, (so you think) Very Worse Things begin to happen. The protagonist is a civil engineer who makes repeated visits to the farm to survey for a new resevoir and wonders about things he finds

I reffed Call of Cthulu rpg's a lot because I was familiar with the work. I'm familiar with "colours". One of the more fearsome of Lovecraft's bestiary. I'd take on a flying polyp first.

(Flying polyps are often mistaken for multiple creatures as they posess large bodies and hunt in multiple demensions similtaniously, with the out of phase parts not visble to human observers )

[crosscountry]

Alright, the day has finally come!!! In just a couple of hours I head off to Antarctica!!! Interesting, as the title suggests, is not even close to how cool this stuff really is. I'm so excited that I can't sleep. Thankfully everything is going as planned so far, and it looks like I'll be "on the ice" in about 3 days.

Wish me luck everyone.

I am going to post some updates here, but if you are interested to know what is going on then please check out my blog.
http://www.blog.crosscountryadventures.us/
There you can find the most up to date stories. You're welcome to comment or questions there. I'll try to reply to them all. Otherwise I'll just post whatever I want.:lol:

[hhEb09'1]

Wish me luck everyone.Luck! too jealous. :)You're welcome to comment or questions there. I'll try to reply to them all. Otherwise I'll just post whatever I want.:lol:Once in a while, post a photo of your meal (prior to ingesting of course), maybe that'll make me feel better. :)

Maybe not!

[PraedSt]

Good luck CC! :)

[PraedSt]

I am going to post some updates here, but if you are interested to know what is going on then please check out my blog.
http://www.blog.crosscountryadventures.us/
This is a black-background blog. You are fined $200. And a penguin.

[crosscountry]

I like the black. Made it safely to New Zealand. Two days here then further south.

[Torsten]

I'm even more envious now. Good luck to you!

[Swift]

From the blog:
The flight was uneventful except for my hand carry, the gravitymeter. Security personel don’t like to see large metal boxes with batteries and cables all around it. But it went smoothly.

Yeah, I could see that being a problem. I'm actually rather surprised you didn't have a bigger problem with it.

[PetersCreek]

Safe journeys and high adventure, CC! I'm sooo envious of the photographic opportunities

[crosscountry]

From the blog:

Yeah, I could see that being a problem. I'm actually rather surprised you didn't have a bigger problem with it.


Believe me when I say that there are certain words I avoided when walking through the airport. Thankfully everyone was pleasant, and the worst I got was a request to swab the box. Turns out there were no explosives in there.

Actually, once I told the security people what it was they were more curious to see it and see it work. I have it in "locked" mode so no parts actually move and it's safe from bumps and turbulence so there is nothing to see but a couple of dials and a thermometer. That's the reason for the batteries.

[Whirlpool]

You sure are really crossing countries with your type of work .

Take care of yourself there.

[BetaDust]

Take good care and have a Great time m8!

--Dennis

[crosscountry]

The flight down to McMurdo was delayed a day, so we're leaving tomorrow at 7AM (means getting up at 4 again). Weather in Christchurch is variable, but today is on the upside, and with the sun, fresh cut grass, and green trees I'm about to go outside and take a nap. I've been up 9 hours already, and it's only 1:30PM. You can click the link to find out what we've done the last couple days and see photos of beautiful Christchurch. It's really nice down here :D

http://www.blog.crosscountryadventures.us/

Let me know if this is a good format.

Isaac

[davidlpf]

I would take that weather over the icy road I was just on.

[crosscountry]

Made it safely to Antarctica. The roads here have a little ice here. ;) I'll get some pictures as soon as possible.

[Tinaa]

Cool! ;-) I want to hear more!

[crosscountry]

Ok, pictures are coming. Our team has been pretty busy in the last few days, so when I get a chance to edit them and sort out the good ones I'll be happy to post them. :D

[Tinaa]

Keep notes during your survival training. I'd like to hear about that.

[crosscountry]

here you go, check out this thread (http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/82504-first-pictures-antarctica.html#post1390490) to see pictures of survival training.