Do-Over – Antarctic UAVs

Wednesday 26 August 2026

Do-Over: an opportunity to do something again or repeat it, especially when it did not turn out well the first time

I am on my way to Antarctic for my 16^th trip to do fieldwork studying the weather of the continent. I was in Antarctica last year, at the same time of year, but when we arrived at McMurdo Station, the main U.S. research base, we were told that our science cargo, and the drones we needed to do our research, had been mistakenly left in Christchurch, New Zealand. This meant we couldn’t do the research we had planned hence this year’s trip is a do-over.

Normally, cargo not making it down to Antarctica wouldn’t be a huge problem during the main summer field season from October to February since flights between New Zealand and Antarctica occur a few times per week. Our, myself and a post-doc working in my group Kara, are deploying to Antarctic during the period known as Winfly at the end of the long, cold, dark Antarctic winter.

Kara and I at the start of our Winfly field season last September.

The United States Antarctic Program does a few flights from New Zealand to Antarctica in August to bring support staff and a few scientists to Antarctica to get a head start on the summer field season. After these flights in August there are no more flights until early October. Last year Kara and I flew to Antarctica on the last flight of Winfly and the day after we arrived at McMurdo Station we were told that a cargo error resulted in our science cargo being left behind in New Zealand. As a result, we spent the next month making do with a few basic weather instruments I had in my personal luggage but we were unable to do the research we had planned, which was using drones to make measurements of how temperature changes as you move up away from the icy surface.

While I love getting to spend time spend time in Antarctica and experiencing the beauty and harshness of the continent I hate being away from my wife, Liz, and daughter Sabrina. Fortunately, I didn’t have to leave the U.S. until a few days after Sabrina started her senior year of high school.

Sabrina driving to school on the first day of her senior year.

Because Antarctica is in the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed from at home. That meant that I left a very hot Colorado summer and arrived to a relatively cool New Zealand winter after a 30 hour day of flying from Denver to Christchurch, New Zealand.

While I was out on a morning bike ride the day I left home I got to see my last summer sunrise over Harper Lake in Louisville, Colorado.

When I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand after a 12.5 hour flight across the Pacific Ocean I got to see my first winter sunrise of the year from the airport.

Kara and I arrived in New Zealand on August 21^st. The plan was that we’d spend 3 nights in Christchurch before flying to Antarctica. During those few days in Christchurch we completed last minute training for our deployment and were issued our extreme cold weather clothing.

This is the cold weather gear we were issued. This supplements our own thermal base layers.

The cold weather clothing that we are issued includes fleece mid-layers, wind pant overalls, a parka, insulated boots and several pairs of gloves, hats and face masks. The big red parka (on the right), called Big Red by people in Antarctica, is amazingly warm. It is like wearing a sleeping bag.

For a typical winter day working outside in Antarctica I’ll usually wear thermal pants and a top as a base layer, fleece pants, wind pants, Big Red, insulated wool socks, winter boots, glove liners and gloves, a neck gaiter or face mask and a hat. If it isn’t too windy this outfit can keep you surprisingly warm at temperatures down to -40 F or colder. The coldest temperature I have experienced in Antarctica was -54 F on a beautiful clear, calm night in 2016.

The U.S. Antarctic Program has a clothing distribution center in Christchurch that is used to outfit staff and scientists going to Antarctica.

On flights to Antarctica we are required to wear specific items from the cold weather gear we were issued. This sign at the CDC reminds everyone of exactly what they need to wear on flight day.

As often happens our flight to Antarctica, that was scheduled for Monday August 24^th, was delayed a few days. That meant I got to spend a few extra days in Christchurch, New Zealand.

While out on a bike ride I saw these sheep grazing below the Port Hills outside of Christchurch.

I also spent some time walking through the beautiful Christchurch botanic gardens. Despite it being the end of winter a few flowers were already blooming.

On Monday I took the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth, across the Southern Alps. This train trip is beautiful, and I highly recommend it if you find yourself in New Zealand.