Aircraft

BAS operate several DeHaviland Twin Otter aircraft, and for some reason I only seem to have photographed FBC (It's a bit of the registration of the aircraft, pronounced phonetically ie Foxtrot Bravo Charlie).

The other aircraft are Dorniers from the neighbouring (500 miles away) German station. They came to visit a few times and were made most welcome - especially when they arrived in 1994, ahead of the ship in December, bearing fresh German Wheat Beer. Any fresh beer would have done.

BAS Twin Otter FBC at a remote fuel depot

FBC far from home

FBC at a fuel depot, hundreds of miles to the south of Halley. This was taken in the 95/96 summer season.

FBC at Berkner Island

FBC unloading a remote air sampling experiment on Berkner Island. The planes tended to land, disgorge their payload and disappear in the shortest possible time. In order to take pictures of them you have to faff about while everyone else does the work.

FBC at Fuel Depot

FBC laying a remote fuel depot a long way south of Halley.

FBC unloading fuel

I felt a bit guilty while taking this photo. This cahp was doing all the work & I was capturing the moment. Only a bit guilty, I soon got over it as these photographic opportunities are very rare - an aeroplane in the sunshine, that is.

BAS Twin Otter FBC over flying a field camp

FBC overflying us, having dumped us in the middle of nowhere to lay a fuel depot. This was New Year's Eve 1995. I stayed overnight for this one with a bottle of Triple Sec. My tent mate spent most of the time asleep, so it was one of the quietest New Year's Eve parties I've ever had. This really was in the middle of nowhere with nothing to see and absolutely no other animals for hundreds of miles in any direction. It was quite a spooky feeling once the plane had gone from sight as what you see here is all that there was in the great expanse of snow, save for a few fuel drums.

FBC looking pretty

FBC Parked

BAS Twin Otter FBC with Graeme Hart, after his first ever flight

First Flight

This is me in front of FBC. This was taken after my first ever flight in an aeroplane (I sailed to the Antarctic). It was a very enjoyable flight, not least because I was given the prized co-pilot seat and the pilot even let me fly the plane for a bit. First time in a plane and I was even flying it. Fantastic!

Sunny tail

Twin Otter Taxiing

Dornier engine

Dorniers have the most photogenic shiney bits on their engines.

Dornier nose

They also have nice noses...

Dornier

...and a pretty paint job.

They carried so much equipment that it'd often take them 10 or more attempts to get off the ground. I think they actually had to keep burning up fuel until they were light enough to take off.