Speed Up...Slow Down

This is traditionally the busiest time of the
year at McMurdo. Field Camps are closing, Ice
Breakers are coming and going, Navchaps and
Winterovers are arriving, people are leaving for
the season, the Supply Vessel and Fuel tanker
are arriving...crazy crazy crazy. However, in
the effort to save the program money, there are
now only going to be three LC-130s flying each
day. Probably two to the Pole and one to a
selected Field Camp. Much slower than the six
to seven we've been having. Besides saving money,
this is also because ATO has been so darn efficient.
The Pole has all the fuel it needs for the winter,
so we're just topping off the tank (so to speak)
with each flight down there. There's pretty much
no cargo to take. It's one of the reasons I got
a trip south this season. They can afford to throw
some bodies on the plane since it's half empty.
In the meantime, my job doesn't really get any
easier with less planes. Just a little less hectic.
We still have the travel and departure plans of almost
a thousand people to deal with as well as C-17's and
SFA Rotator flights to control. It promises to be
pretty crazy all the way until last flight...which is
less than a month away.