As expected, the North Pole Flight Team embarked on their adventure this morning at around 7:30 in Longyearbyen. So what does that mean? What does their day look like?
The adventure begins like a typical, civilized air travel day. After arriving at the Longyearbyen airport, checking in and clearing security, the team waits at the gate--just like a regular travel day. That's about where the normality ends. The team then walks out onto the runway, and boards plane. Everyone finds a seat in sight and directly in front of the cargo: skis, tents, food, expedition gear, etc.
From there it only gets stranger. After about 2.5 hours in the air, the plane touches down, not on asphalt, but on the groomed ice runway of the Barneo Airstrip! Landing a plane on floating ice?! Pretty wild. It's hard to describe the surreal feeling that grips the team members as they step out onto the Arctic Icecap, an ever-changing landscape pitched, crunched and ground into place by the immense forces of wind and ocean currents. Suffice to say that the icecap inspires awe.
From there, the team grabs something to eat from the mess tent, and, weather permitting, boards a helicopter bound for the North Pole. Check back for updates on the team's progress. Thanks for following.
The adventure begins like a typical, civilized air travel day. After arriving at the Longyearbyen airport, checking in and clearing security, the team waits at the gate--just like a regular travel day. That's about where the normality ends. The team then walks out onto the runway, and boards plane. Everyone finds a seat in sight and directly in front of the cargo: skis, tents, food, expedition gear, etc.
From there it only gets stranger. After about 2.5 hours in the air, the plane touches down, not on asphalt, but on the groomed ice runway of the Barneo Airstrip! Landing a plane on floating ice?! Pretty wild. It's hard to describe the surreal feeling that grips the team members as they step out onto the Arctic Icecap, an ever-changing landscape pitched, crunched and ground into place by the immense forces of wind and ocean currents. Suffice to say that the icecap inspires awe.
From there, the team grabs something to eat from the mess tent, and, weather permitting, boards a helicopter bound for the North Pole. Check back for updates on the team's progress. Thanks for following.
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