Riding In The Kress

Yesterday, when I got off the A-319 Airbus, there were two vehicles ahead of me. Ivan the Terrabus; an old, sometimes trustworthy friend which was full of people, and The Kress Vehicle. It turns out that Ivan was full of folks that were headed north to Christchurch. I would be taking my first trip on the Kress.


I first wrote about the Kress a couple of years ago when it was delivered via the cargo vessel. It's actually a pretty impressive vehicle.


Inside, it seats 59 passengers and feels like a movie theatre. The ride was one of the smoothest I've had from any of the runways here. I was even able to have the ability to have a nice conversation with a past fellow winterover I hadn't seen in many years. Count me as a big fan of the Kress!

Boarding the Airbus

Again this year, we are being helped with our
redeployment airlifts by the Australian-owned
Airbus A319. Using this, in addition to our C-17
allows the program to get everyone out without
taxing the C-17 with too many flights during
redeployment.


Last season was the first time we used the Airbus
for redeployment and I flew back on it. It was a
fun experience, leaving the Ice in an airline seat
in business class!


Unfortunately, the whole plane in not equipped with
business class seats. Last year was a nightmare, with
everyone running to the plane to get the best seats.
This year, boarding passes are being issued and strict
ground rules are being enforced. Especially no running!
Sauntering and Skipping were considered, but it was
decided that a Casual Walk was probably best!

Airbus A-319

The Intercontinental Aircraft Schedule (Subject to Changes)
was released today for the upcoming McMurdo Summer Season.
What excited me is that tentatively (yes, nothing is ever
written in stone), the last week of flights south and north
will be handled by the Airbus A-319. I've flown on a C-17,
LC-130, C-141, Coast Guard Dauphin Helicopter and turned
down the chance to fly in a Twin Otter while on the Ice, but
I think it will be great to fly in a plane out of here that
very few have gotten to travel in...Antarctic-wise.
The reason that I'm pretty confident that I'll get to fly on
the A-319 is that it will be flying the last 4 flights north
and since I'm a Air Services Rep this Summer, I'll be on one
of the last flights. This particular A-319 is owned and
operated by a company called SkyTraders out of Australia and
earlier this year, conducted the first official flight to the
Wilkins Aerodrome. A test flight was sent to McMurdo in 2007.
Again, this is all Subject to Changes, but if it happens, it
could make flying to the Ice a whole new experience.