Greetings from the bottom of the world!

I've been fortunate to be selected for Operation DEEP FREEZE which is the Air Force mission supporting National Science Foundation activities in Antarctica.  For the past couple of weeks I've flown passengers and cargo between our base of operations in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the ice runway near McMurdo Station, Antarctica.  Yes that's right, I said ice runway!  Due to the obvious weather conditions in Antarctica it is impossible to build and maintain a conventional concrete or asphalt runway.  So we land on a runway that is created on the permanent ice of the Ross Ice Shelf very near McMurdo Station.  Machines plow and compact the snow and ice to allow us to safely land.  The ice we land on is hundreds of meters thick ensuring a safe landing even for a 500,000 lb airplane!  Amazingly, the early season missions land on the sea ice runway which is temporary.  That runway only exists during the colder season when the ice extends far out into the sea.  It provides a closer landing site to McMurdo station but the ice there is only 3 or 4 meters thick!  Enough reading - here are some pictures beginning with the deployment from home, a beautiful overnight stop in Hawaii (I know, I know, I lead a tough life), and arrival in New Zealand.