Project Information • • Logistics Summary - CH2M HILL Polar Services

Please review all of the following information, including the gear allocations and field team 

members, to ensure accuracy. This plan is an agreement between VPR and your group, 

documenting the logistics support you will receive. 

• Project Information • 

Project Leader Peter Doyle 

Institute WGBH Educational Foundation 

Project Title / Grant # NOVA: Leading Edge (0229297) 

NSF Program and Manager NSF/EHR/ESI ISE, Dr. Valentine Kass 

VPR Project Manager Robin Abbott 

• Logistics Summary • 

A team of five from the public television show NOVA will travel to Greenland to film a segment for the 

"NOVA Science Now" series. 

In early May of 2005, the team of five will accompany NASA-funded scientists Koni Steffen and Jay 

Zwally (see grant NASAAWS) on their fieldwork studying the changing Greenland ice sheet. The team 

will travel to and from Greenland via the 109th Air National Guard (ANG). Their first stop in the "field" 

will be Ilulissat, where they will interview Jay Zwally about current research into the state of the 

Greenland Ice Sheet. They will also conduct aerial filming of the Jakobshavn Glacier and surrounding 

areas. They will then travel to Swiss Camp via Twin Otter, where they will participate in and film 

ongoing field experiments before returning to the US. 

VPR will provide ANG coordination, user days in Kangerlussuaq, shipment of camera mount to 

Calgary, Air Greenland flights to/from Ilulissat and helicopter/fixed wing support out of Ilulissat. All other 

logistics will be paid for by the team. 

For the complete VPR online project record for this grant, including science objectives, go to: 

http://www.vecopolar.com/arlss_reports/arlss_projectsdetail.asp?cbPropNum=0229297 

• Outstanding Issues • 

Issue Responsibility Date Completed 

Review support plan for accuracy and distribute to all field 

team members 

PI 

Obtain all necessary permits for fieldwork PI Added onto Steffen 

DPC permit 

Visit all hyperlinks and review all documents referred to in the Field Team 

support plan 

Members 

Please note this important information for your field team: Field Team 

Bring 2 different forms of picture ID. Passports are now 

mandatory for entry into Greenland. Be sure to pack them! 

Members 

The team is currently scheduled to depart Greenland via ANG 

C-130 flight on th morning of 7 May. If weather delays the film 

team’s departure from Swiss Camp on 6 May, then the team 

will purchase commercial tickets to return to the US via 

Copenhagen. The C-130s will not stay past the morning of 7 

May. 

PI 

Finalize plans for boat charter upon arrival in Ilulissat PI 

Determine availability and NSF approval for chartering a 

helicopter for filming with door removed 

VPR/NSF 

Developed by Polar Field Services, Inc. for VECO USA, Inc. Page 1

• Allocations & Services • 

Allocations from Inventory 

Quant/Unit Item 

4 ea Sleep Kits: Arctic weight sleeping bag with fleece liner and thermarest pads. 

1 ea Iridium phone for communicating to Swiss Camp and Kangerlussuaq. 

Variety Cold Weather clothing as requested 

Variety Tents for sleeping – supplied by Koni Steffen at Swiss Camp 

Other Services 

Project Allocations Comments 

Arrangements for shipping the Tyler camera mount Borek to send the mount to Greenland on the 

from NY to Kenn Borek in Calgary for inspection. 

Twin Otter from Iqaluit. 

Hotel accommodations provided upon arrival at the Double rooms only are available, paid for by 

Kangerlussuaq International Science Support facility 

NSF 

Air Greenland commercial tickets x 5 booked to/from 

Paid for by NSF 

Ilulissat 

Excess baggage (any items over 20kg/person) for the 

Paid for by NOVA 

commercial flight to/from Ilulissat must be arranged 

and paid at check-in 

Air Alpha Bell 222 helicopter booked for familiarization 

and filming flight on May 2 nd Paid for by NSF 

. Total of 2 hours flight 

time. This helicopter is also booked for NOVA pull-out 

from Swiss Camp on 6 May. 

Twin Otter flights arranged for Steffen camp put-in, 

Paid for by NSF/NASA 

and NOVA pick up at Ilulissat airport on 3 May for 

filming and on 4 May to Swiss Camp. 

Hotel bookings (1 double, 3 singles) at the Hvide Falk 

in Ilulissat arranged for NOVA for May 2 nd , 3 rd , and 6 th Paid for by NOVA 

. 

One of the ANG planes flying back to Scotia will have 11:00 AM departure from Kangerlussuaq for 

a delayed departure to await arrival of the NOVA team one Air National Guard C-130 airplane. 

scheduled to arrive from Ilulissat at 10:25am that 

Estimate arrival in NY ~1500 EST 

morning. 

Preliminary arrangements have been made with Finn Will need to talk to Finn when you arrive in 

Siegstad of Air Alpha for a boat and driver to be 

Ilulissat to firm up plans. 

available for filming 

Possible subcontract of a Canadian helicopter based 

Still to be determined. 

in Kangerlussuaq to fly to Ilulissat for 2 hours filming 

between 1800-2000 local time. 

• Location Information • 

Please visit http://www.vecopolar.com and navigate to the Greenland menu for en route and locationspecific 

Greenland information. Prior to deployment, your entire field team should be familiar with the 

content of the Greenland Guide available electronically via our web site’s Greenland menu. 

• Cargo and Customs • 

- All cargo for your project will be handcarried. Your video equipment and gear will be placed on the 

baggage pallet of your C-130 when you arrive at the 109 th Air Base for transport to Greenland. 

- All excess baggage (anything over 20kg/person) costs for the commercial flight to/from Ilulissat are 

your responsibility and must be paid when checking in for the flight. 

- For customs purposes all your gear will be considered “tools of the trade”. As long as you are 

accompanying the equipment, no customs paperwork will be necessary for your return to the US. 


The following is our current understanding of your overall cargo requirements: 

Cargo List 

Items Weight/Cube 

3- 4 large duffel bags 

1 large camera shipping case 

1 tripod shipping tube 

1 pelican case with extra lenses 

1 pelican case with walkie talkies, camera barney, remote switches 

1 pelican case with field monitor 

1 lowell light kit case with chimera and gels 

1 pelican case with panasonic dvx 100 camera 

1 pelican case with sound gear 

• Support Schedule • 

Date Location Activity 

25 April Gardner, NY Fed Ex picked up the Tyler Mount and will deliver to Kenn Borek Air in 

Calgary for inspection. The mount will arrive in Greenland via the 

01 May Scotia, NY > 

Kangerlussuaq 

02 May Kangerlussuaq > 

Ilulissat 

02 May Iqaluit > 

Kangerlussuaq 


Swiss Camp > 

Ilulissat 


Ilulissat > Swiss 

Camp 

Twin Otter. 

Film crew arrives at Stratton Air Base at 5:30AM to check in for flight 

on C-130 to Greenland. Dress in layers as planes can be sometimes 

hot and sometimes cold. 

Air Greenland flight for 5 film team members and Jay Zwally, departing 

at 0800, arriving ~0845. Hotel Hvide Falk driver can meet you at the 

airport for a ride to town. Check into hotel and return to airport for Air 

Alpha flight scheduled at 1300. Boat charter possibly late 

afternoon/evening? 

Twin Otter departs Canada and flies to Greenland. Tyler Mount will be 

coming with the aircraft. The aircraft will then fly Koni Steffen to Swiss 

Camp and Crawford Point. 

Twin Otter (with Tyler mount on board) flies to Swiss Camp to unload 

cargo, then onto Crawford Point to pick up Steffen x 3 and return to 

Swiss Camp. Will then fly to Ilulissat to meet NOVA film team. 

Remove door for filming. Twin Otter returns to Kangerlussuaq by 

airport closing time at 4:45PM. Boat or helicopter charter possibly late 

afternoon/evening? 

Twin Otter departs Kangerlussuaq at 0815 with last load to Swiss 

Camp, stopping by Ilulissat on the way, to pick up NOVA film team and 

fly them to Swiss Camp. Estimated time of arrival in Ilulissat is 0915 at 

the Air Alpha Hangar. Possibly fly back to Canada in the afternoon? 

(Back up day for Twin Otter to film with NOVA team. Returns to 

Kangerlussuaq by Airport closing.) 

Twin Otter departs back to Canada? 


Iqaluit Canada 

05 May Swiss Camp Filming with Koni Steffen and crew at Swiss Camp 

06 May Swiss Camp Continued filming with Koni Steffen and crew at Swiss Camp. Air 

Alpha helicopter flies to Swiss Camp (ETA 1600) to pick up NOVA film 

team and return to Ilulissat. Overnight at Hotel Hvide Falk. 

07 May Ilulissat > Air Greenland flight to Kangerlussuaq arriving at 10:25 AM, picked up 

Kangerlussuaq immediately and driven to C-130 for departure back to NY. 

2-7 May Everywhere Pray for good weather! 


• Field Team Information • 

Name Location Date In Date Out Email 

Doyle, Peter Kangerlussuaq 5/1/2005 5/7/2005 peter_doyle@wgbh.org 

Doyle, Peter Ilulissat 5/2/2005 5/7/2005 

Doyle, Peter Swiss Camp 5/4/2005 5/6/2005 

Standring, Peter Kangerlussuaq 5/1/2005 5/7/2005 standringpeter@hotmail.com 

Standring, Peter Ilulissat 5/2/2005 5/7/2005 

Standring, Peter Swiss Camp 5/4/2005 5/6/2005 

Boyles, Edgar Kangerlussuaq 5/1/2005 5/7/2005 danno@sopris.net 

Boyles, Edgar Ilulissat 5/2/2005 5/7/2005 

Boyles, Edgar Swiss Camp 5/4/2005 5/6/2005 

Pickner, David Kangerlussuaq 5/1/2005 5/7/2005 

Pickner, David Ilulissat 5/2/2005 5/7/2005 

Pickner, David Swiss Camp 5/4/2005 5/6/2005 

Richards, Billy Kangerlussuaq 5/1/2005 5/7/2005 mrbig136@aol.com 

Richards, Billy Ilulissat 5/2/2005 5/7/2005 

Richards, Billy Swiss Camp 5/4/2005 5/6/2005 

• Project Contact Information • 

Research Team 

Role Name Email Phone / Fax 

Project Lead / 

Field Coordinator 

Mr. Peter Doyle peter_doyle@wgbh.org 212-213-5155 

VPR Team Members 

Contact for Name Email Primary Phone(s) 

Greenland 

Robin Abbott robin@polarfield.com Denver: 303.748.8507 

operations 

Greenland: 011.299.524218 

Denver operations Jill Ferris jill@polarfield.com Denver: 720.320.6155 

Scotia Operations Earl Vaughn earl.vaughn@nyscot.ang.af.mil Scotia: 518.331.3103 

& Customs 

vprscotia@direcway.com 

VPR Offices 

Denver Kangerlussuaq Scotia 

VECO Polar Resources 

8392 S. Continental 

VECO Polar Resources 

Attn: Name of 

Earl Vaughn 

C/O 109 

Divide Rd. #104 

Employee/Researcher 

Littleton, CO 80127-4268 Postboks 1015 

Tel: 303.984.1450/1439 DK-3910 

Fax: 303.984.1445 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland 

Tel: 011.299.841598 

Fax: 011.299.841599 

th Aerial Port 

Bldg. 20 

Stratton Air Base 

Scotia, NY 12302-9752 

Fax: 518.884.2904 

• Government Performance and Reporting Act of 1993 (GPRA) • 

NSF/OPP requires your help in complying with the Government Performance and Reporting Act of 1993 

(GPRA). One measure of VPR's performance is a "facility-performance metric” which counts the number 

of productive days your project has in the field while relying on VPR facilities or support. Please keep 

track of any “lost days” and report these to us at the end of the season.

Project Information • • Logistics Summary - CH2M HILL Polar Services

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