Part 2 The flight

this is the plane a russian antonov, it has seats for 24 and the other passengers are behind the net lying on top of al of our sledges bags skis and supplies for barneo. you had a sense the plane was very very full and heavy. the flight takes about two and a half hours its 1500 kms. the plane takes off and lands on avery short runway and had seemingly about three pilots and three other crew, navigators. one of whom turned switches opposite where i was sitting from time to time. i later understood he was changing the radio frequencies. there is only one window in the plane i didn't want to look out....... if barneo had to close and longyearbarn closed due to weather we would have been diverted to a russian military base those are the only three options... the plane felt very solid but i was extremely happy to land on the ice runway and set foot on the arctic ocean at barneo and get a sense of the frozen wilderness which would possibly be home for up to 10 days.