Grandmother Goes Down at the Pole

Mainlander wrote:

In article ,
says...

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
. ..

It's getting awfully crowded down there (or up there, in terms of
latitude). No wonder the folks at McMurdo were so unfriendly to the
Kiwi who dropped in without enough fuel to reach his destination.

Yes, on the other hand they are there as the guests of the taxpayers, and
shouldn't be treating Antartica as their own personal fiefdom.


Why didn't the Australian government spring to his rescue?

By the way they are accountable to taxpayers and shouldn't have to spend
thousands of dollars shipping in fuel (he refused to pay for the fuel he
was eventually offered)


Please show where he refused to pay for fuel??????

In article . net,
says...


Mainlander wrote:

In article ,
says...

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
. ..

It's getting awfully crowded down there (or up there, in terms of
latitude). No wonder the folks at McMurdo were so unfriendly to the
Kiwi who dropped in without enough fuel to reach his destination.

Yes, on the other hand they are there as the guests of the taxpayers, and
shouldn't be treating Antartica as their own personal fiefdom.


Why didn't the Australian government spring to his rescue?

By the way they are accountable to taxpayers and shouldn't have to spend
thousands of dollars shipping in fuel (he refused to pay for the fuel he
was eventually offered)


Please show where he refused to pay for fuel??????

He was asked to give money to the Polly whatsit fund which had brought it
in for her flight, but he declined to do so. It cost them $8000 to ship
in their fuel.

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On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 06:17:45 -0500, Cub Driver
wrote:

It's getting awfully crowded down there (or up there, in terms of
latitude).

Sure seems to be. In addition to the highly publicised (and
criticised) aviation expeditions there's a host of other unsupported
ground based privateers - more than a dozen I think - mainly ex the
US.

And some officially sanctioned activities are landing in strife with
the very recent drowning of a bunch of Koreans which seems to have
passed without much comment.

"Eight South Koreans, including four scientists working at an
Antarctic research centre, are missing after their boats capsized in
rough weather, Reuters reports.A boat carrying three scientists went
missing on Sunday as they returned to South Korea's polar research
base at King George Island after seeing off 24 colleagues returning to
Seoul. Immediately after the boat capsized, a second vessel carrying
five people left to search for them and suffered the same fate."

Cub Driver wrote:

It's getting awfully crowded down there (or up there, in terms of
latitude). No wonder the folks at McMurdo were so unfriendly to the
Kiwi who dropped in without enough fuel to reach his destination.

Just to help your understanding of global political dynamics, the West Island
of New Zealand is where the pilot originated, and both the NZ and US base
refused to provide Avgas because:-

1. They didn't have any, and didn't want to give him Mogas.

2. He didn't seek advance permission to land at McMurdo ( as required ),
probably correctly assuming they would reject it, given his inadequate
planning.

3. He didn't organise logistic or search and rescue support in advance or take
notice of Antarctic station guidances - as did the British pilot who gave
him some of her contingency, as her well-planned expedition had been been
deferred.

4. He apparently wasn't carrying enough fuel for his stated objected, so
always intended to scavenge several hundred litres of fuel from a base. He
radioed the base on his southward journey saying he didn't have enough fuel,
but continued onto the point of no return and the South Pole anyway.

5. The US offered transport out for both him and his plane - he didn't need
to fly out.

To much of the world, the West Island of New Zealand is known as Australia,
and it's definitely not the Grey Havens. Mr Johannson was from Adelaide.

Bruce Hamilton

Bruce Hamilton wrote:
Cub Driver wrote:


It's getting awfully crowded down there (or up there, in terms of
latitude). No wonder the folks at McMurdo were so unfriendly to the
Kiwi who dropped in without enough fuel to reach his destination.


Just to help your understanding of global political dynamics, the West Island
of New Zealand is where the pilot originated, and both the NZ and US base
refused to provide Avgas because:-

1. They didn't have any, and didn't want to give him Mogas.

2. He didn't seek advance permission to land at McMurdo ( as required ),
probably correctly assuming they would reject it, given his inadequate
planning.

3. He didn't organise logistic or search and rescue support in advance or take
notice of Antarctic station guidances - as did the British pilot who gave
him some of her contingency, as her well-planned expedition had been been
deferred.

4. He apparently wasn't carrying enough fuel for his stated objected, so
always intended to scavenge several hundred litres of fuel from a base. He
radioed the base on his southward journey saying he didn't have enough fuel,
but continued onto the point of no return and the South Pole anyway.

Once again another armchair quarterback that does not know what they are talking
about.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 15:55:58 GMT, Jerry Springer
wrote:



Bruce Hamilton wrote:
Cub Driver wrote:

It's getting awfully crowded down there (or up there, in terms of
latitude). No wonder the folks at McMurdo were so unfriendly to the
Kiwi who dropped in without enough fuel to reach his destination.

Just to help your understanding of global political dynamics, the West Island
of New Zealand is where the pilot originated, and both the NZ and US base
refused to provide Avgas because:-

(snip)

Once again another armchair quarterback that does not know what they are talking
about.


Can you please be specific ... which of Bruce's statements were
factually incorrect?

In article ,
says...
On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 15:55:58 GMT, Jerry Springer
wrote:



Bruce Hamilton wrote:
Cub Driver wrote:

It's getting awfully crowded down there (or up there, in terms of
latitude). No wonder the folks at McMurdo were so unfriendly to the
Kiwi who dropped in without enough fuel to reach his destination.

Just to help your understanding of global political dynamics, the West Island
of New Zealand is where the pilot originated, and both the NZ and US base
refused to provide Avgas because:-

(snip)

Once again another armchair quarterback that does not know what they are talking
about.


Can you please be specific ... which of Bruce's statements were
factually incorrect?

None of them.

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On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 15:55:58 GMT, Jerry Springer
wrote:
Bruce Hamilton wrote:
Just to help your understanding of global political dynamics, the West Island
of New Zealand is where the pilot originated, and both the NZ and US base
refused to provide Avgas because:-

1. They didn't have any, and didn't want to give him Mogas.

2. He didn't seek advance permission to land at McMurdo ( as required ),
probably correctly assuming they would reject it, given his inadequate
planning.

3. He didn't organise logistic or search and rescue support in advance or take
notice of Antarctic station guidances - as did the British pilot who gave
him some of her contingency, as her well-planned expedition had been been
deferred.

4. He apparently wasn't carrying enough fuel for his stated objected, so
always intended to scavenge several hundred litres of fuel from a base. He
radioed the base on his southward journey saying he didn't have enough fuel,
but continued onto the point of no return and the South Pole anyway.

Once again another armchair quarterback that does not know what they are talking
about.

Wow. Your detailed refutation clearly demonstrates your abilities, I'm
impressed. Just to help you get a clue, lonely as it may be, here's
some references from Antarctic New Zealand.

http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_det...73-1-7,00.html
http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_det...30-1-7,00.html

US and New Zealand officials said Johanson was ill-prepared to make
the polar flight and it was irresponsible for him to set out.

Antarctica New Zealand spokeswoman Shelly Peebles said US and New
Zealand authorities were being painted in a bad light but Johanson had
taken a very irresponsible approach.

She said he filed a flight plan just before he left but kept his South
Pole flight plan a secret because he knew both American and New
Zealand authorities would have stopped it.

"All our research points to the fact that this guy had one mission in
mind and that was to fly over the South Pole.

"He abdicated complete personal responsibility for any kind of
contingency plan or consideration of how he was going to get back with
limited fuel."

Bruce Hamilton

Bruce Hamilton wrote:
On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 15:55:58 GMT, Jerry Springer
wrote:

Bruce Hamilton wrote:

Just to help your understanding of global political dynamics, the West Island
of New Zealand is where the pilot originated, and both the NZ and US base
refused to provide Avgas because:-

1. They didn't have any, and didn't want to give him Mogas.

2. He didn't seek advance permission to land at McMurdo ( as required ),
probably correctly assuming they would reject it, given his inadequate
planning.

3. He didn't organise logistic or search and rescue support in advance or take
notice of Antarctic station guidances - as did the British pilot who gave
him some of her contingency, as her well-planned expedition had been been
deferred.

4. He apparently wasn't carrying enough fuel for his stated objected, so
always intended to scavenge several hundred litres of fuel from a base. He
radioed the base on his southward journey saying he didn't have enough fuel,
but continued onto the point of no return and the South Pole anyway.


Once again another armchair quarterback that does not know what they are talking
about.


Wow. Your detailed refutation clearly demonstrates your abilities, I'm
impressed. Just to help you get a clue, lonely as it may be, here's
some references from Antarctic New Zealand.

http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_det...73-1-7,00.html
http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_det...30-1-7,00.html

US and New Zealand officials said Johanson was ill-prepared to make
the polar flight and it was irresponsible for him to set out.

Antarctica New Zealand spokeswoman Shelly Peebles said US and New
Zealand authorities were being painted in a bad light but Johanson had
taken a very irresponsible approach.

She said he filed a flight plan just before he left but kept his South
Pole flight plan a secret because he knew both American and New
Zealand authorities would have stopped it.

"All our research points to the fact that this guy had one mission in
mind and that was to fly over the South Pole.

"He abdicated complete personal responsibility for any kind of
contingency plan or consideration of how he was going to get back with
limited fuel."

Bruce Hamilton

And what the hell else do you expect them to say????

In article ,
says...


Bruce Hamilton wrote:
Cub Driver wrote:


It's getting awfully crowded down there (or up there, in terms of
latitude). No wonder the folks at McMurdo were so unfriendly to the
Kiwi who dropped in without enough fuel to reach his destination.


Just to help your understanding of global political dynamics, the West Island
of New Zealand is where the pilot originated, and both the NZ and US base
refused to provide Avgas because:-

1. They didn't have any, and didn't want to give him Mogas.

2. He didn't seek advance permission to land at McMurdo ( as required ),
probably correctly assuming they would reject it, given his inadequate
planning.

3. He didn't organise logistic or search and rescue support in advance or take
notice of Antarctic station guidances - as did the British pilot who gave
him some of her contingency, as her well-planned expedition had been been
deferred.

4. He apparently wasn't carrying enough fuel for his stated objected, so
always intended to scavenge several hundred litres of fuel from a base. He
radioed the base on his southward journey saying he didn't have enough fuel,
but continued onto the point of no return and the South Pole anyway.

Once again another armchair quarterback that does not know what they are talking
about.

Referring to yourself are you?

Mr Hamilton's post is the best summary of the facts I have seen.

Antarctic flying conditions are so unpredictable that it is not unusual
for planes to have to fly all the way down and all the way back without
landing if the weather closes in in the few hours that it takes to fly
out of Christchurch.

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