The JOB



Driving a Delta



Life, here, in Antarctica is in full swing. It has been about three weeks since I arrived and I already feel, in many ways, like I have been here a long time. I am through my job training time and am now fully functioning as a Vehicle Operator. So far, I am really grateful for the job I have. I think it is a pretty great department to be in (the Shuttles Department). My basic job duties are to transport people around "town" and surrounding area, take scientist to their research sites, transport flight crews, passengers, and workers to the airfields, and at times act as the dispatcher to assign and task the other shuttlers. As drivers we get to meet a lot of people who use our service and also get to see around the area far more than most because of the nature of the job driving around everywhere. There are 26 of us in our department and we run a 24 hr service (I am currently a day-shifter). We are a mix of all kinds of people, the oldest being 72 years old and youngest probably mid twenties. It is a good group of people many of whom are the people I hang out with outside of work.

The vehicles I have to drive here are vans, airporters, and deltas. The vans we mainly use as taxis around town or for smaller groups of people going to the airfield or job sites. They are a ford vans, very jacked up for extra clearance, with huge snow tires. They are very big and tough looking. The airporters, like a van-bus combo, are to transport more people, mainly to the airfield for a flight or from a flight. I think they hold about 20 passengers. The deltas are old navy vehicles with a front cab for the driver, articulating middle, with a box on back for passengers. They have huge tires (about 5 feet high) and provide for a pretty rough ride for the people in the back. I kinda feel like I am operating a big old-school semi driving those. They can hold about 18 passengers in the back (3 in front). We will start to use these more in the coming weeks because the roads here get pretty rough and rutty with the break-up of the snow and ice as the temps get warmer (not so much the popular mode of transportation).

As a shuttle driver, I am given a variety of tasks everyday.  Our supervisor breaks up each of our day's with a range of tasks.  For example in the morning I might spend a couple of hours as a shuttle to and from the airfield and then come back to the office to be on-call for around town taxi duties.  After lunch I might be scheduled for a few hours of dispatch and then end with being the transport person for the air crews flying out from the airfield. This way each driver isn't stuck doing one task all day long.  There are times of waiting around between tasks and we are able to read or crochet or the like.  We also have to frequently use hand held radios to communicate with our dispatcher and each other.  My call name is "Shuttle-Elisha" (or "Shuttle-Leesh" for short).  It took some getting used to talking on the radio and learning all the lingo that goes along with that, but I think I've sort of got a handle on it now.  The key is to think before you speak, ha ha, cause a lot of people get to hear you if you fumble-mumble around on the radio.

 

Watch out everyone!!!



 



It is a pretty muddy mess around here right now, I guess the equivalent of spring break up. After the initial sunny days when I first arrived we had some stormy weather move in and had a good dump of snow for some days but it is now sunny again and melting all that snow. Rivers of water are flowing down the roads and creating some pretty good ruts making for bumpier rides and very dirty vehicles (which we occasionally give squeegie baths). Part of my job is helping maintain the vehicles: cleaning them, checking fluids, lights, leaks, tires, etc.  Vehicle checks are done twice a day and recorded.

This is basically what fills my time most days.  Stay tuned.....