Polar Ring 2011

Surprisingly in the morning of March 2 weather appeared to be flying at least at three airports: in Vorkuta, at the island Sredny and at one of reserve airports. Crews arrived to the airplanes by 7 am local time. We manage to visit dining room and to pick up packed meal for pilots on the way to airport. One more time we get aboard the ‘orange’ that transports us to the airplanes. Preparation to the flight is at its height: 'air heaters' have already brought to life insides of the AN-72s, technicians run over the wings and use buckets to pour liquid ‘Arctic’ on flaps. Visibility worsens and wind speeds up. Pilots hurry up with take off as the long stuck at the parallel 67 affects not only our team.

Short run on the runway and at last we are flying to the start point. On the way we've celebrated the next phase of the expedition, proceeded with arrangement of the outfit and finished to stick logotypes of our sponsors on the vehicles.

In 3 hours after the take off AN-72 starts lowering. Beneath is the ice of Kara sea. From this height it delusively looks like flat white field with thin leads. After single path over the island the airplane flies above the snowy runway. First touch down. The runway is not flat so we jump and stay in the air for a moment. Then another touch down and thrust reversal. Landed.

Team of the Krasnojarsk division of Emergency Control Ministry (EMERCOM) that came to the island ten days ago meets us at the ladder. The rescuers’ plan includes short training in the Far North environment and assistance to our group at the stage of preparation to the start of expedition. Together we first unload one airplane, then another one, that has landed 20 minutes later. There was no problem to manually roll out the all-terrain vehicles over the ramps. The vehicles had no suspension that had been dismounted to fit into an AN-72 airplane. So we use the tracked cross-country vehicle ‘Taiga’ to pull them into a warm box.

In the evening we’ve been accommodated and had a ceremonial supper with the EMERCOM guys to celebrate the so long waited meeting.