The Pilots – How Did FIDS Think of Us (continued)
So, imagine my feelings standing at Stonington airstrip (can’t remember exactly when in 1972) thousands of miles from anywhere, looking at a twin otter for the first time and knowing that it was to be my first flight ever! I had been asked to tag along for a depot recce trip to the fjord area north of base. We were looking at existing and potential sites for future work. Bert Conchie was the pilot. I don’t remember much about Bert as a person at that point because I didn’t get much chance to chat being stuck in the back of the plane. Not the best seat in the house! As the aircraft set off along the airstrip I thought how bumpy it was and then suddenly it all seemed to go silent and I thought, “ Oh it has stopped!” only to look outside and realise we were about 10 metres off the ground. I felt a bit happier at that point. The flight was wonderful and my confidence in Bert grew as we banked and swooped around all the beautiful fjords – it was spectacular. Returning to Stonington though I was quite relieved to land – I had survived my first flight. That said having spent a lot of time looking out of a side window as we banked up and down the fjords I felt very sick! Anyway, I soon recovered and having seen how Bert operated I was beginning to think that things had changed and maybe it was not quite as dangerous now.
The general feeling was that we were in a safe window as far as flying was concerned and with Bert and Dave we were in good hands. Although having heard the odd tale of Dave flying sideways between buildings at Adelaide airbase I did wonder initially.
Memory 2 – Ground Crew 1972
Having just arrived at our summer work area on the east coast of Palmer Land in 1972 we suddenly had an emergency. My fellow geologist, John (Rock) Hudson had become very ill and needed to be evacuated. This is well documented in ‘Of Ice and Men’ by Sir Vivian Fuchs. At that time of year the BAS Twin Otters were in Canada so we were very much in the hands of HQ with regard to who would get Rock out. There were a lot of politics involved, especially where the foreign office approaching Argentina was concerned. In the end it was a race between the Argentinians (thanks to Sir Vivian Fuchs using his personal contacts) and BAS. It took approximately 2 weeks of field nursing before we saw an aircraft and boy were we glad to see it although we weren’t 100% sure who the pilot was. I wasn’t surprised in the end that Bert won the race with his skill and determination. It was nice to see a friendly face. We were also relieved because there was no doubt that now Rock was in good hands he would get the help he needed quickly. So, we raised a toast to Bert that night thanks to all the goodies he brought us.
Memory 3 – Ground Crew 1972
On the 8th November 1972 we (Sledge Tango: Graham Wright; Neil McNaughton and Sledge Juliet: Dave Singleton; Ron James) were expecting a depot run to get us through the next phase of our field work on the East coast. It was a two plane job (Dave in AQ who was about an hour behind Bert in AP). We prepared an airstrip about a mile from camp. With rough surfaces everywhere it was difficult to find a good spot. We went to the trouble of levelling the airstrip using a staff and level and were able to give the pilots full details of the heights and wavelength of the extensive sastrugi. When Bert landed he thought it was pretty rough but in the circumstances the best we could do. Dave had a different view (can’t remember his exact words!) but did one of the best landings and take offs I had seen. The plane appeared to stop pretty much as its skis hit the ground to minimise travel and took off in the same manner. Very impressive! However, the next day we got to hear the serious side of Dave. On the regular evening radio schedule he gave us all what felt like a mild bollocking about field runways. Apparently AP had sustained damage to one of its skis which had activated a front suspension fault. The planes would be grounded for some time until repairs were complete. That said though, and this was typical of Dave, he felt the damage was entirely the fault of the aircrew. At the time we didn’t feel great about it ourselves but were quite relieved to hear this. When we checked the airstrip again you could see where AP had taken a wide turn and roared off in to some high sastrugi. My respect for the pilots grew a notch that night, I had seen another more serious and professional side of them and it was clear to me that Dave was very much in charge.
Memory 4 – Flight In To Field 1973
This was one of the flights where I thought I had finally arrived. Dave in AQ flew me and the Ladies into my summer work area (20th October 1973). He allowed me up front in the co-pilot seat where I got a fantastic view of the scenery and we were blessed with some excellent weather. The heaters had accidentally been left on so the Ladies were quiet and slept the whole way. It was a great opportunity to get to know Dave a bit better and we chatted most of the way. I always remember him telling me that he had taught Graham Hill (the racing driver) to fly. As expected he skilfully navigated a hole in the east coast mank and landed safely without much hesitation. This was a very pleasant trip and I enjoyed Dave’s friendship and banter. I wasn’t alone for long. My sledging buddy, Dave Burkitt arrived safely sometime later on AP with Bert.
Memory 5 – Depot Flight to Seward Mountains 1974
This wasn’t my last flight in Antarctica but it was memorable because it fell into that category of free flying which I now know from reading Dave’s stories on this website were something he liked. At the end of our summer work programme on the east coast I planned to travel over to the west side of the Peninsula to map the Seward Mountains. They were quite a way to the south, rarely visited and difficult to find. So, Dave picked me up on 4th January 1974 from the Mt Andrew Jackson area and we headed off to the Seward Mountains. I got the co-pilot seat again on a glorious day and Dave kindly allowed me to do some filming for my movie.
We eventually spotted the Sewards and again Dave found a good landing area close to a potential depot site. Of course this was true free flying, no ground crew today! After much banking (which was okay for me this time because I was up front) and bumping in the turbulence we landed on good surfaces. Just like breathing in and out! The depot was quickly laid and we were soon back at Mt Jackson ready for the next phase of our work.
So, to answer Dave’s question, “How did I think of the pilots?” No doubt Adelaide FIDS will have a more complete view of Dave and Bert than the Stonington FIDS who only met them periodically. To me in many ways they were just like us. The thought that they might have rank or command status never occurred to me. They made plans, assessed the weather, terrain and associated risks. Safety was always a priority with the ultimate aim of minimising accidents and preserving life. The focus was the same – getting the job done. It was just that Dave and Bert flew planes in the air whereas we drove dog teams on the ground. Occasionally, our two worlds met when they landed at our field camps. The only major difference was that at the end of the day generally they flew back to the luxuries of Adelaide base whereas we stayed in the field with dogs as company. We certainly couldn’t have done our job, operating so far from Stonington, without their help and support. When flying with them I always enjoyed their company and felt very safe. You could say, in Rocks case, Bert’s urgency had a hand in saving his life. Most of us were in awe of their flying skills and felt lucky to have been working with them during that period of no incidents or accidents. I am sure safety was a key objective for Dave when he took on the air unit command job, given what had happened before. In conclusion, I will always have good memories and a great deal of respect for Dave and Bert. They were always friendly but had their serious side when it was needed. Above all they were flying aces in what at times was a very challenging environment. I have a lot to thank them for. So, although it is a little overdue, “Thank you”. I will always remember Dave and Bert as FIDs like us; they just happened to drive planes; we drove dogs.
Dave Singleton Geologist, Stonington 1972 – 73