24 May 2004 - Part 3

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 87

May 24, 2004 Monday
11:00 PM Alaska time

This afternoon I received a phone call from the chief scientist, Jackie Grebmeier. She had put me on the list to join the helicopter ice reconnaissance (ice recon) flight. I was so excited. I grabbed my camera and went immediately to the helicopter deck. Of course I got lost. Thank goodness for Jackie’s technician, Arianne Balsom. She directed me through the right door where I received a helicopter safety briefing, got into a Mustang suit and waited. After about a half hour I was told the flight had been postponed until 6 PM. So, I got out of the Mustang suit, had some dinner and prepared once again to go flying. Just before six o’clock I went back to the helicopter deck (I was able to find my way on my own – yeah!). We left the Healy about 6:30 and flew for more than an hour looking for a course to our next station. The ice floes were huge and had many pressure ridges. Pressure ridges are where ice floes push up against each other forming rows of ice “hills”. The ridges were blue, which I was told indicates the ice is old and thick. When the ice has a lot of pressure on it, it is very difficult for the ship to break through. While we were flying we saw two polar bears. One of the polar bears even stood up and looked at us. I have videotape of the flight that I will add to this entry when I return home.

The Healy on station at EHS 0. Notice Rolf Gradinger’s group on the ice in front of the ship.

LCDR Daryl Peloquin from Operations mapped the ice as we flew.

Blue colored pressure ridges were abundant on the ice floes.

One of the two polar bears I saw on the ice recon flight.

An aviation team of four pilots and four helicopter mechanics is on temporary assignment to the Healy. They are stationed out of Mobile, Alabama where the Coast Guard’s Aviation Training Center is located. To get to the Healy, the Dolphin helicopters had to be flown cross-country from Mobile to where the Healy is stationed in Seattle, Washington. The helicopters can fly for 2-2.5 hours before refueling which takes about an hour to complete. It is not an easy task to fly across country. Not only is there flight time and refueling to consider; the helicopters must also be maintained along the way.

Ever wonder how a helicopter fits into a hanger? See the "folded blade"? Now you know.

The helicopter is rolled out of its hanger onto the helicopter pad where it is tied down to the deck.

The blades are unfolded and tied down to the deck.

Lt. Gary Naus was the co-pilot on the ice recon flight.

Lt. Erik Hollinger was the pilot on the ice recon flight.

AMT1 Jay Holt was the flight mechanic on the ice recon flight.

AMT3 Daniel Justice gave me the safety briefing.

Lt. Joe Klatt

LCDR Ed Beal also has a website following the cruise: http://www.rezonate.com/polar/aws04/

AETC Ronnie Tolle

AET2 John Maghupoy

To see photographs taken by Steve Roberts of UCAR/JOSS, click here.