We flew with the Air National Guard to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. We and about 30 other beakers (scientists) checked in at the base and sat around waiting to board and depart. There were three planes headed for Greenland, two carrying air national guardsmen and guardswomen, and one with scientists. It was an interesting atmosphere – 30 scientists excited to be on their way to Greenland and about as many guardspeople who viewed a trip to Greenland as a prison sentence.
The military jet we flew on had no amenities. We sat on seats made essentially of cargo straps. The plane was loud enough that we had to wear ear plugs the entire flight, which lasted about 6 hours. The “bathrooms” consisted of a toilet and a curtain that you pulled around you. I guess the military isn’t too big on privacy. The few guardsmen on our flight pulled out stretchers and hammocks and slept most of the way.
We arrived in Kangerlussuaq sometime in the afternoon and were met by the friendly folks at VECO, our logistics provider. Kangerlussuaq (long fjord?) isn’t the most exciting place in Greenland. It may be as far from the coast as you can get in Greenland without being on the ice sheet, yet you can’t see the ice. The town was developed as a military air base – its one of the only places in Greenland where you can land large jets – and as you might expect the town lacks character. All of the buildings look like rectangular lego pieces. But we were excited - Greenland! After eating dinner we sat around discussing our field plans – this was the first time that the four of us (myself, my advisor Martin, Roman from Juneau, and Mark from New Hampshire) had a chance to sit down and talk since the AGU meeting in December.
The next day we flew onward to the town of Ilulissat.
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