A few photos from Mario Station
Isn’t technology amazing? No matter where Captain Gordillo is in the world, he can find a way to update us. From 10,000 miles away, Michel was able to work with the Mario Zuchelli staff to send the photos below. Evidently Michel can’t send email, but can send text messages via his WhatsApp iPhone application. He was able to put some photos on a station computer, then take phone photos of the screen and send them via text message.
Michel says that the Sky Polaris RV-8 is sitting on 2 meters (6 feet) of solid ice, and below that is 400 meters of deep ocean. The scientists also took Michel for a helicopter ride to visit the site of a future runway.
Michel has been busy preparing the RV-8 for the next leg of the flight, across the Antarctic, crossing the south pole and then landing at King George Island on the Northwestern side of Antarctica.
However, weather is a problem and Michel is watching it carefully, helped along by the meteorologists at the station. At this point, Michel anticipates he can’t leave Mario before November 7, but of course that is up to the ever-changing weather in the Antarctic. He will let us know the exact date as soon as he can schedule it.
Laying Down on the Job!
Snow and Ice and Rocks Everywhere
All Bundled up
5 Comments
Nice sharing, thank you so much.
Nice to hear something! There’s not alot of WIFI around of course, so we’re happy with the pics.
Windyty (Michel likes it very much) shows a suitable weather window from Nov 7-9 all along the flight path from Mario station to the peninsula. Few clouds, no precip, weak winds and no storms. It is based on the both, the GFS and ECMWF model. Soo, we’re very anxious to see if it is as consistent as predicted. Good luck dear Michel and have a lot of fun with them scientists!!
SAFETY FIRST OF COURSE… Afortunadamente Gordillo debe tener un equipo científico en la Estación Mario Zucchelli que podrá asesorarle perfectamente sobre la METEO. A esto añadir la gran experiencia de Michel, que seguro le llevará a tomar la mejor decisión posible en el momento más preciso posible. El handicap de que son 20 horas prácticamente de vuelo, y que las condiciones son cambiantes en ese período de tiempo con relativa rapidez, es algo que nadie mejor que un Aviador conoce, pondera, valora y decide. En cualquier caso desde la Madre Patria señalar que seguimos con indescriptible emoción todas las vicisitudes de esta heroica hazaña aeronáutica. Como decimos aquí en AD “Vista, Suerte y … al Polo”. SLDS.
Gracias por enviar las fotos y los comentarios. Qué difícil es decidir cuándo se dan las circunstancias favorables para volver a volar. Suerte. Descansa estos días todo lo posible.
¡Enhorabuena Michel! Nadie como tu para demostrar que “querer es poder”. Tu “querías conseguirlo” y has “podido conseguirlo”. Tu preparación, persistencia y determinación… consiguen todo lo que te propones. Sigue avanzando como hasta ahora y que la combinación de tu gran profesionalidad y sentido de la prudencia consigan pasito a pasito completar esta ruta única en su género. Todos seguimos tu proeza y estamos seguros de su completo éxito. Vicente y Marián.
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