G'day all
It was a nice sunny morning, so I walked to
Anglesea Barracks for another presentation to two RAAFies heading to Antarctica. They will be flying on a RAAF C17 to Wilkins
Aerodrome which is located approximately 70km south east of Casey station and
serves as the Antarctic terminal for Australia’s intercontinental air service. They will be working on the C17 loading
program, but I gather they will be living at Casey.
Only one slight hitch, at the moment, the
weather down there is too warm for the ice runway, so the flight has been
delayed until it gets down to -50C
(yes MINUS FIVE degrees Celsius) so the runway is safe for landing and
take off! The aircraft arrive and depart on
the same day – no overnighters on the ice. In the meantime, they are undertaking training at the Australian Antarctic
Division (AAD) near Hobart.
Both were delighted with their quilts and
laundry bags. One recipient had
previously received a LB, which she left at home, due to luggage restrictions. However,
I was assured they will find space to
take their new quilts and LBs with them.
I had rather assumed if they were flying on
a RAAF flight, that luggage wouldn’t be a problem, so I checked the AAD flight
requirements: each expeditioner has a
total luggage allowance of 55kg for their stay.
They must carry their passport, there are quarantine restrictions (e.g. no
fresh fruit) and they must carry their AAD-issued red survival bag as hand
luggage. While they can wear comfortable clothing for
boarding and during the flight, AAD-issued survival gear must be donned prior
to the aircraft’s descent into Wilkins, and for their onward travel to Casey
station. If is -50 they most definitely will need it!
The laundry bags were made by Jan-Maree and Heather B.
The quilt tops were made by Bobbie and
the Mystery BOMers, embroidery by Inge and Keryn, and quilted and finished by
Philomena.
Thanks so much Anne H
Till next time, keep spreading the word and happy stitching!
Jan-Maree xx
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