On the Flight schedule!

Ok, so we are the 3rd alternate destination, but at least we're on the schedule.  So if the weather is poor at the first destination, they will plan to fly to the alternate; if bad at both places, we are next in line!

It's a pretty efficient system for using the resources of the single aircraft that is appropriate for our flight.  It means that in the morning, three field parties will be ready to depart at a moment's notice, so that if the call is made that one destination has too poor weather for flying, the others are ready to go.  All the cargo for each group is staged next to the airplane, ready to be loaded.

But the plan is even more complicated than that, because I have another task to accomplish this season, going to Siple Dome.  In the event that we can't get the aircraft to go to Roosevelt Island, we are the 2nd alternate destination for another plane that could take us to Siple Dome.  So on paper I have to be on two planes tomorrow, but if everything works as it should, I won't go anywhere, because both planes will make it to their primary destination.

How do the planners choose who gets priority?  Many factors, but one is definitely how long they have been trying; the first two have been trying for some time now.

So, our task for today was simply to make sure our cargo was all ready to go for tomorrow, and that's complete.  Fingers crossed that we'll get to go!