We got an extra plane today
Skiway repair: Lou is grooming the fresh snow into the tracks left behind from the intense traffic of the past days.
As the 109th needed another training mission, Skier 32 paid us a visit at
Noon. We were told about this the day before, so all hands were hard at
work until Monday evening at 23 to disassemble the drillers workshop and
put it on a pallet. The workshop went to Kangerlussuaq on the Skier in a
successful landing and take-off.
This mission concluded a very strange period of flights to NEEM. Originally, we had only planned for 3 missions to NEEM this period; but we received 10! This huge change came about because of the heat wave that hit Greenland between July 10 and July 16. The 109th could not use their normal training skiway in South Greenland so NEEM offered their skiway as replacement.
Although this cost NEEM several man-days of work with weather reporting, communication and air plane handling, we achieved two things: We helped the 109th (and in turn the U.S. National Science Foundation) in a difficult situation and we got so much cargo out that the final closing of NEEM in August will be much easier to organize.
Today, the 109th will be heading back to the U.S. and we will be alone up here until August 11. We at NEEM camp wish to express our sincere thanks to the 109th for an outstanding collaboration.
For NEEM the heat wave in July turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
As the last plane left, a sense of tranquility fell over the NEEM crew.
Several people were very tired, so we spent the evening in a relaxed
manner.
What we have done today:
1. Air sampling program
2. Received skier 32 and retro’ed a pallet with the drillers workshop.
3. Cleaning up in the drill trench and packing down equipment.
4. Grooming the skiway with beam groomer to remove the tracks from the flights.
Weather: -8°C to -4°C. Wind 2-9 kn from NW turning to SSW. Overcast in the morning, then clearing up and after 1800 fog.
FL, J.P. Steffensen