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I just finished my PQ process….had to get my wisdom teeth pulled. Medical said my medical was pq’d…just waiting on the fax for my wisdom teeth to get the dental pq’d. I did fax the paper today and they said I should hear something on Monday. I’m really excited about getting the opportunity to go. I was offered a Primary Janitor position..I was told I’ll leave for Denver on Oct 4th, then leave for NZ on the 6th…then to Mcmurdo on the 8th or 10th. What can I expect? When I go to Denver and Christchurch will they pay for hotel, food, etc…how does that work? What will orientation be like in Denver? When I get to NZ what can I expect. Anyone have a packing list, or know what items I should bring and what items I should leave at home, I heard I can only pack about 50lbs cause when my ecw gear is added that will add another 25lbs. So I have to fit 4 months of stuff into 50lbs??? Thanks to everyone for your help along the way…I’ve been wanting this for 3 years now!
Jeff
Dayton, OhioCongratulations! In Denver, your hotel and breakfast will be paid for by Raytheon and they will have a catered lunch during orientation. They also will send you a coupon for shuttle service from DIA to your hotel. You may have to pay for a shuttle after orientation back to the airport, about $25. After orientation, which consists of sexual harrassment issues, safety, insurance, and tax stuff, they will give you $300 for your expenses from that time and in NZ. In NZ then, you will pay for your hotel yourself.
There is a section in the Participant’s Guide outlining what items you need to bring with you. It really is not a problem packing for 4 months in one bag. We do have laundry facilities on the Ice. And there is a library, vidoes/DVD to check out in the store, sporting equipment to check out from Gear Issue and many items to skua.
From Denver on, you will be in the company of about 100 others heading down to the Ice, some of whom have been there before. They will freely give you advise on getting your ECW gear and packing for the flight out of Christchurch.
I hope this helps. I’m sure others will be jumping in with information soon.
Shuttle Sharon
Think about what you want to do afterwards, like tramping in New Zealand or Australia. You can leave backpacks and extra luggage at the Clothing Distribution Center in storage, it doesn’t count against your weight limit if it doesn’t go to the Ice with you.
glenn
Jeff take some time to look through the old post here. There’s lots of hints. Start mailing things now that you don’t need right away. You should get them by November, but sometimes packages are delayed into December so bring necessary items.
Get a nice camera with lots of batteries. As a janitor with a day off in the middle of the week you may get to go on trips the rest of us won’t be able to attend.
Halloween costume. Send it down right away. Hopefully it arrives in time. The Halloween party is something everyone likes their first year.
Send down some really nice clothes to wear to the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. They are dress up events.
You will probably overpack warm clothes. Bring layers of lighterweight clothes. Ask the oldtimers what ECW gear to get at the CDC.
Hiking boots. Tennies if you go to the gym and run on the machines.
Most toiletries can be bought at the store, but bring anything special because they only carry generic stuff.
I’m sure I’ll think of more later.
Mike
In New Zealand the program is very well organized. When you get there, you
will be give some cash and brought to your hotel. You will probably find
other Ice people are staying at your hotel. Cheech is an awesome place. If
you have time, check out the Botanical Gardens, Baileys bar (where a lot of
Ice people meet) and my favorite, the Bog Irish bar for great Irish music:)
Don't be hung over getting on the plane though. You may get lucky and get to
spend more time in Christchurch than expected if the weather is bad in
Mactown. Relax and enjoy the experience. There's nothing like getting off
the plane for the first time in Antarctica. Have a great time.
Kevin.>From: “TheNomad”
>Reply-To: “Antarctic memories”
>To: “Antarctic memories”
>Subject: Finally get to go to Antarctica
>Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 19:34:28 -0700
>
>
>
>New Message on Antarctic memories
>
>
>From: TheNomad
>Message 1 in Discussion
>
>I just finished my PQ process….had to get my wisdom teeth pulled. Medical
>said my medical was pq'd…just waiting on the fax for my wisdom teeth to
>get the dental pq'd. I did fax the paper today and they said I should hear
>something on Monday. I'm really excited about getting the opportunity to
>go. I was offered a Primary Janitor position..I was told I'll leave for
>Denver on Oct 4th, then leave for NZ on the 6th…then to Mcmurdo on the
>8th or 10th. What can I expect? When I go to Denver and Christchurch will
>they pay for hotel, food, etc…how does that work? What will orientation
>be like in Denver? When I get to NZ what can I expect. Anyone have a
>packing list, or know what items I should bring and what items I should
>leave at home, I heard I can only pack about 50lbs cause when my ecw gear
>is added that will add another 25lbs. So I have to fit 4 months of stuff
>into 50lbs??? Thanks to everyone for you help along the way…I've been
>wanting this for 3 years now!
>
>Jeff
>Dayton, Ohio
>
>
>
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http://www.windowsonecare.com/trial.aspx?sc_cid=msn_hotmailJeff the process is this
You leave for Denver. When you arrive use the ticket given to you for a free shuttle trip to the hotel.
There should be lots of Ice people at the hotel. I just got my intinerary today. I’m leaving the 30th of Sept so will be right ahead of you.
Once at the hotel there should be lots of people to shepard you.
The next morning be up early and eat breakfast at the hotel. You will be shuttled to the Raytheon office around 7am.
You endure a day of safety training and orientation with a lunch provided.
While there you should get cash in the form of travelers checks to pay for incidentals and hotel expenses in Cheech.
Go back to the hotel late in the afternoon. Have a nice dinner. Hang out with everyone at the bar and be ready to go the next morn.
Sometime around noon the shuttle will pick you up and bring you to the airport. The flight leaves at 5 but you need time to get through security
Fly to LA. Go out of the american terminal. Turn left and go to the Bradley international terminal. Do this as quick as possible as there are lots
of delays. Best to stay with the group. Sometimes the whole group can jump to the head of the line if running out of time.
The flight to NZ is 12 hours or so. Try to get at least 6 hours sleep if you can. Buy a set of noise canceling headphones and use
those to watch the movies. They are much nicer. Ask for an Aisle seat so you can get up and walk around without climbing
over sleeping neighbors.
At Aukland you retrieve your bags, go through customs and recheck your bags to cheech. Walk
out of the international terminal to the domestic terminal. Meet with friends at the little resturant and wait for your flight.
When you arrive at Cheech. LeeAnn Stringer will meet the group. She will be in a booth in the lobby that has the
Antarctic program sign. She hands your hotel info. From here it varies from year to year. You may go right to the CDC to get your clothing
or you may be allowed to go straight to the hotel and then do your clothing the next day. I don’t know which it is this year.
Again best to stick with someone who has been through the process.
All info is usually given to the hotel you are staying at so they can help arrange shuttles.
Any time in cheech should be used to your advantage. Stick with old timers for help.
Mike
Thanks everyone for your help! Very detailed Mike thanks…I took your advise and I went out and bought a good digital camera ,memory card, and suit jacket today for the christmas get togethers and such. Have a good trip down. Which airlines does raytheon use? See you all later.
JeffJeff —
One big, important thing to know, is that when you arrive at LAX, and you go from the American terminal over to the Int’l Terminal, you will be required to check-in at the QANTAS counter, regardless of whether you have an AA-issued boarding pass for them, or not.
The reason for this is that the AA computer system doesn’t talk directly to the QF computer system, so your passport, and bag tag information, isn’t automatically transferred.
Because this is an international flight, QF has to re-enter this data, and give you one of their boarding passes.
Also, get something to eat BEFORE you go through security. The Bradley International Terminal is the most barren and desolate international terminal I’ve ever been in. However, there’s some decent eats on the mezannine. If you don’t heed this advice, you’ll be paying $7 for a hot dog, small drink, and a crushed bag of chips.
Trust me.
Plus, if things are the same as Winfly, you’ll get TWO nights in Denver, and TWO nights in CHC. That was sweet…
And they’ll be throwing money at you right and left. If you’re frugal, you’ll have some extra spending money.
Have a good time. See you soon.
atlas….in regards to the Halloween costume, I recommend that you just carry it with you. If you send it down, there’s a chance that it won’t get there before the big party. You want to have a good costume for the party. Good job getting the camera & suit jacket.
As for flying stuff…. American Airlines is what Raytheon uses. I have a special situation (that many Ice people have, actually), in which American Airlines doesn’t fly to my home airport. So, sometimes they fly me on United, and sometimes on Delta. But that’s only for the flight to Denver, after that it’s American Airlines….. which will actually be Quantas for the overseas flight, but you’ll get American Airlines Frequent Flyer points. If you don’t already have an American Airlines FF#, get one soon! And if you already have one, give it to the travel person right away when she calls (I emailed it to her, AND told it to her over the phone). American Airlines can be weird about not giving you the miles later.
So, I’m going to Denver on the 28th, and am due on the Ice for second flight on the 4th. I guess the LAX-AUK flight was filled up, so I’ll be flying through Sydney. Anyone else going through Sydney? That’s a 14.5 hr flight instead of 12. Yuck. Anyone else leaving on the 28th?
Zondralooks like I’m flying to denver on the
sat the 30th and on to lax on Monday. Staying at : YZ
Never heard of that Hotel. Must be a new one.
I’m flying out of denver on Monday the second. Not sure about the Ice flight.
MikeYo, Mike —
You’ll like the Staybridge. It’s a little ways from the office, but they’ll take care of getting you there and back. It’s maybe a mile straight west of Park Meadows Mall, just off County Line Road. It’s like a Residence Inn, with kitchens and living areas. Nice people running the place, too.
Enjoy.
See you soon!
a
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