- Harewood Terminal Team, Operation Antarctica
16 February 2010
Pre-deployment (PDT) training for membership of Operation Antarctica’s Harewood terminal team consisted of learning leadership skills, safety training for operation of aircraft loaders and fork lifts and for marshalling vehicles around aircraft. And every minute of it has been useful, writes Private Rebecca Courtney.
The Harewood Terminal Team (HTT) is the group of Defence Force personnel in charge of sending cargo and passengers down to Antarctica. It is currently made up of people from all three Services. Seven from the New Zealand Army, nine from the Royal New Zealand Air Force and two from the Royal New Zealand Navy. We also have 11 experienced people managing us who are posted for a three year tour from the RNZAF Expedition Support Squadron (ESS) which is based at Christchurch Air Movements.
The HTT consists of 18 personnel in total, 15 of whom stay on deployment for six months and the remaining three stay for three months to cover the surge at the beginning.
Our PDT included being taught how to conduct a passenger check-in for a flight, build pallets of cargo and load the aircraft.
To help us with the theory side of the job we were introduced to an electronic training based tool called Buzz. This programme provides an electronic multi choice questionnaire we had to do every morning. We were all pretty average at first, but within a few days the scores were all around the 90% mark. At the end of PDT we sat our written theory test which showed that the 09/10 HTT scored the highest average of all seasons. Some people thought that these high scores were due to the use of the new Buzz tool but I like to think it was due to the quality of the trainees.
Some personnel were required to obtain extra vehicle licenses like the P endorsement for driving a bus and W endorsement for heavy wheeled cargo loaders to fulfil the requirements of the operation. Our last day of PDT finished around 2pm so we could move into our new accommodation — Park View on Hagley Hotel which is located on Riccarton Road directly opposite Hagley Park, in Christchurch. We have access to a 24 hr gym just down the road, the park just across the road to run around and play touch in, five minute walk from town and a walk down stairs to a bar/restaurant. We were very well looked after.
Before work begins we are split into four shifts. Each shift consists of a bus driver, a check-in person, 25K and 40K K-Loader drivers and a shift supervisor. The shifts are all rostered on a four day, two nights and two days off shift. The day shift technically starts at 0300 and goes through to 1500, although this is normally based around times of flight departures. The earliest start we have had so far is 0400, and as we have a 20 minute drive to work we are all up just after 0300. Two shifts are rostered on for the day shift as there is usually a lot of work and pallets to build. At 1500 the night shift, takes over. There isn’t usually much work for the night shift except to receipt the incoming C17 Globe Master aircraft, C130 Hercules aircraft or L C130 Hercules with Skis fitted.
Throughout this operation we get to work alongside the American C17 Globemaster Crew. They normally rotate between teams every six weeks. They are always very friendly and are easy to get along with and love the Kiwi ‘can-do’ attitude and flexibility with changing operational tempo.
In summary, we have successfully sent 815,484 lbs of cargo down to the ice via 41 flights. Averaging 75,000 for a C17, 20 000 lbs for a C130 and 11,000 lbs for a Skier C130. Some of the unusual cargo we have sent south includes liquid nitrogen cylinders weighing 25,000 lbs, bulldozers, a snow cat bulldozer and three helicopters.
This season we have an awesome group of people working down here which makes it all the more enjoyable. Although the requirements of the operation can be quite repetitive, every day is different and every flight can offer its own challenges. I am thoroughly enjoying my time down here and look forward to seeing the season through.