High Lat. Optical Illusions

[NoTies]

Is this a record for thread drift? Stanley Clarke School Days for the mellow days. Saw him in concert a few years back. Nirvana (the feeling, not the band)

[Alan Wheeler]

Easter is in April, not sure dates. We will catch up when you get back.

[Tim Gosnell]

Hey Pwederell,

Where are you at in Antarctica & are you aboard your Whiting?

Tim G.

[NoTies]

Hi Tim. I'm working down here at McMurdo Station and have been for around 18 months solid. That's how I managed to afford a boat. Will be stepping aboard her in NZ in less than 2 weeks.
Would love to sail to the peninsula one day but will be experiencing the frigid delights of Alaska before then if our half baked plane comes to fruition.
Pete

[Alan Wheeler]

Hey Pete, Dawn asked if you ahd come across a Kiwi guy at The Scott Base by the name of FSGT Pete Tansey. She worked with him and know's him well.

[BC Mike]

Does Herb Alpert have information regarding the optical illusions question that started this thread??
Flat light is something you have to experience to understand what it is all about. It is an optical illusion that occurs when snow appears to be flat, when in actual fact there could be a hill in front of you or a lot of bumps, or a drop off.
North American pilots wondered if that was partly to blame for the Mount Eribus crash.
Howey Mandel wrote a piece called Chase the clouds away, so maybe there is a musical connection.
Michael

[CaptainK]

Herb Alpert probably does know about optical illusions.

Considering he's been in the music business for over 40 years?

And he used to own half of A & M records. Started by Alpert and Moss. Being the "A" in A & M?

[Alan Wheeler]

Mike, apart from the pilots not being where they thought they were, ithas been established that flat light/white out is exactly the reason why they flew into Eribus. Theysimply did not see a mountain right in front of them. And even when the ground proximity indicator went off, they could not see wahy. They were in the process of powering up to pull up out of there and smacked into the mountain side at full power.
It's a disarster in NZ history that I reckon touched every Kiwi in away no other disarster ever has. Either someone knew someone on the plan or new someone involved or was involvedin some way.
For me, I was a Teen in my early working career. I was also involved with the local country fire crew. We were put on standby as we were one of the small country towns on the Airpath for returning planes from the Ice. At that stage, no one in NZ knew where the plane was and if it was making it's way back to NZ. It was going to be very low on fuel and most likely not make it back to the runway, so we were all on alert. Of course, nothing came and not long after, the plane was found as a smudge mark on the side of a mountain.
The most shocking thing for me was, I couldn't believe how such a large aircraft could be reduced to such small debre.

I don't think it happens much anymore. But way back then, it was not uncommon for a C130 to "just" make it back flying on fumes. I often used to see a US C130 come in over our farm "hedge hopping" making a final approach for the runway still many miles away. We lived in a restricted air space were our RNZAF pilots trained, so normal air rules didn't apply.
Also wayback then, (at least I "hope" it doesn't still happen) the US aircraft would land at CHCH, and a US truck would meet them over the far side of the airport. THEN the plane would taxy back across to the Airport and go through customs. Hmmmmm!!.

[NoTies]

Hi wheels, haven't come across the guy from Scott Base as I've had very little interaction this year due to nightshift. I do work with a guy Mark Evans who remembers Dawn & says Hi.
My father was down here in '57-'58 and tells stories about the helicopter pilots carrying rocks to drop out the window when they were coming in to land, it was often the only way to get any distance perception. He relates the story of a guy having to be restrained from hopping out the door of one helo at 300', he thought they had landed
The flat light is a very good excuse for stumbling back to the dorm at closing time

[NoTies]

And should I mention the nightmare C-130 flight I had in December? Boomeranged (turned back due to weather) 30 minutes after PSR (point of safe return) and had to land in Dunedin to take on enough fuel to make it back to ChCh. Stepped back on the tarmac 12 hours after we launched hot, stiff, cramped up and very p#$%^ed off. Turned around and flew again the next day. God I love my job.