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Majestic blue icebergs from an airborne Falklands/S. Georgia

Hercules 'Fat Albert' C 130 flying to South Georgia

Sharon Jaffray, Acting Editor of the Falkland Islands weekly Penguin News was invited last week for a trip to South Georgia with the RAF regular duty flight. A Hercules “Fat Albert” took off from Mount Pleasant 7:00 in the morning of a spectacular sunny day into what turned out be a unique experience to take photos as they low flied over South Georgia.

It's not every day one is invited to fly to South Georgia and view the legendary Island bordering on the Antarctic, even if it was on a C-130 Hercules instead of the originally planned, comparative luxury of the VC-10. It was not as though I was a stranger to the Hercules. 25 years ago I had made the flight to the UK - eight months pregnant as an aeromedical evacuation. Just prior to my return to the Falklands with my three week-old baby daughter, I saw a Hercules lumber over Salisbury on a training exercise flying on just one engine and, odd though it may seem, it reassured me about the long flight home; if it could fly on one we were as safe as houses with four in operation. While the thought of thundering around in a Hercules aircraft for eight hours might not be everyone's idea of a fun day out, for me it was a chance to see South Georgia for the first time. My grandmother had worked at one of the whaling stations as cook for many years in the 1960s and I had listened avidly to her stories of the snow capped beauty of the mountains, the massive icebergs and the majestic glaciers. 1312 Flight were my hosts for the day and the trip to South Georgia was part of their regular duty to monitor the South Sandwich and South Georgia areas. The flight have a number of aircraft to fulfil the role; however, on this occasion the C-130, fondly known as Fat Albert, was tasked to undertake the trip to South Georgia. As the South Sandwich Islands are significantly further South than South Georgia, to reach them the Hercules and VC-10 work together so that both aircraft have the fuel required to conduct taskings around both groups of islands and return home. After watching the FlyGlobespan airbridge take off, myself and 44 other military passengers including some of the fast jet boys and air movement crew made our way to the aircraft. Meteorological Officer James Fearnley, who had been observing the weather patterns for several days in anticipation of the flight, His Excellency the Governor and Mrs Huckle completed the group who were all soon buckled up on the webbing seats down either side of the aircraft. The interior of the aircraft is in complete contrast to any commercial aircraft, but then it is a battle work horse and no frills are required. You certainly don't get them where the toilet facilities are concerned and it was with some amusement I watched the construction of the chemical toilet and sparse curtain on the rear cargo ramp soon after takeoff - on a brighter note however, it was a hell of a lot easier to negotiate this time than it was 25 years ago! AirborneOver the last couple of years it has been noticeable that the amount of females in high level positions within all three branches of the British Forces has increased, so I was no surprise to see Flt Lt Lucie Purvis as co-pilot in the cockpit; Flt Lt Eden was our pilot for takeoff while Flt Master Weaver and Sgt Dan Ellis made up the flight deck crew. The Loadmaster, Sgt Matt Greensmith made sure everything was shipshape and orderly in the cabin while running a 'mini- Starbucks' from a tiny aperture near the flight deck. The smell of roasting coffee wafted around the aircraft mingling with a whiff of... could that be Pot Noodles? I arrived on the flight deck shortly after takeoff as we were climbing through 17,000 ft to an expected cruising height of 26,000. The time spent at low level around South Georgia would be dependent on fuel consumption on the way South, the crew explained. As we drew near to South Georgia and began the descent the battle of the gaudy orange survival/ immersion suit commenced. All passengers are required to wear them when flying at low level but they are not easy to get into and just as bad to get out of again. Finally encased in a rubber suit designed for someone at least six feet tall with size 10 feet I waddled to the flight deck to catch my first glimpse of South Georgia. South Georgia ahoy!Soon, little white dots of icebergs were visible as we descended through the cloud and gradually, snow splattered mountains dropping straight into the sea appeared. The beautiful aqua shades of the sea surrounding the bergs was a colour that could never be reproduced and though the waves were turning in the sea there was a remarkably peaceful aura accompanying the view. This illusion was immediately shattered on returning to the cabin where the rear cargo ramp had been lowered and the starboard parachute door was open. A cold wind was howling in the door and everything suddenly seemed much more in keeping with the nature of the rugged landscape we were viewing. Standing in a blast of wind that had the power to blow me across the aircraft I decided that it would probably feel a bit like that to stand on one of the snow splattered mountains. Becoming accustomed to the steady turbulence and the fierce wind I was beckoned to the side of the para door where photographers were trying to get the best shot. Barely able to keep my eyes open and feeling like my nostrils were being ripped from face I managed to take some pictures, especially of the brave souls who were standing around the door with their faces somewhat distorted by the force of the wind, but grinning wildly. The MPA photographer Mike Jones was stretched out on the floor and getting loads of scenic shots, so I concentrated on the view. The Governor and Mrs Huckle were thoroughly enjoying the experience too and ensured that the viewing bubble situated above their seats in the cockpit was appreciated by as many as possible. Mrs Huckle had climbed up into the bubble as pilot Lucie Purvis executed a tight turn in the entrance of Grytviken Bay, but soon scrambled down again deciding that it was just a little too unnerving to look down the wing at that angle. Squalls were skirted to avoid the worst of the turbulence but the nature of the flight had its inevitable effect on some of the passengers and several faces above the delectable orange suits turned a sickly shade of green... Homeward boundWhile it was a most exhilarating day in the air, I felt a little sad as we gained height and set a course for the Falklands. The icebergs seemed so small compared to my grandmothers pictures; there didn't seem to be enough snow and the glaciers stopped dead at the sea rather than bursting out into the pack-ice as I had imagined. But that aside, it was an amazing sight to see and it almost felt that we were at the edge of the world, that there couldn't possibly be anything beyond. There was once a community of more than 2,000 living on the Island at the height of the whaling operation, but now that is hard to imagine. It seems to me that it is a place that should only be inhabited by those who really care about it and who are truly comfortable with themselves in very real isolation. By Sharon Jaffray - Penguin News Stanley

Categories: Politics, Falkland Islands.

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