ArcticTropic flies by Cerro Aconcagua, 22841 ft , 6962m, the highest mountain in the Western HemisphereLast Friday,February 3, ArcticTropic was returning to Chile after business meetings in Argentina. The Mendoza to Santiago flight was on a midsummer’s day. One can see the Argentina – Chile border post on the highway below, then Portillo Ski area in Chile, beside the bright blue Lago de Las Incas.
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Archive for the 'Air Journey' Category
Highest Mountain in the Western Hemisphere
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012Over the Amazon – São Paulo to Bogotá
Sunday, January 29th, 2012
On the morning of 10/28/11 I travelled from São Paulo to Bogotá on my way home to Miami. The flight takes off from the second biggest city in the world, and within a couple of hours is flying over one of the most remote areas on the world.
Avianca’s twice daily A 340 flight is about 6 hours.
Vegans who want to save the world – guess what ? Soya farms are eating up the jungle !
Western Amazon.
Down below, Lost Tribes gaze up at the Big SIlver BIrd – too high for their poison arrows to hit.
The cloud cover thickened over the rain forest and we did not see anything the last two hours – missing views of the Colombian Andes until we landed at El Dorado Internacional.
Time to connect for Miami !
Landing – Buenos Aires Aeroparque
Thursday, October 27th, 2011Aeroparque Buenos Aires is one of the world’s most beautiful airports, along with Santos Dumont in Rio. Here is a beautiful, though shaky landing on a fine spring morning. ArcticTropic is actually designed and built in BA.
We were not here long , but here’s a few shots around town, before heading to Uruguay the next day.
The Pampas – home of incredible beef.
House in Palermo.
Puerto Madero
Cristina !
Return To The Southern Cone
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
An eight hour flight from Miami to Santiago,Chile bought ArcticTropic from a late rainy season tropical wave to a delightful Southern Hemisphere spring morning. As we approach Santiago, one can see the icy cold South Pacific Ocean in the distance.
Above, the final approach to SCL. What was supposed to be a one hour layover, turned out to be 3 hours as the flight was delayed due to the Puyehue Volcano erupting once again. Though 670 km south of Santiago, the ash cloud spreads far and wide. We are informed the Mendoza airport is closed and the flight may be cancelled. ArcticTropic began investigating connections by bus, but at 1 PM ,it was announced that a window had opened and we ad to board quickly.
Up over the Andes, a crossing we have made many times.
Warm spring sunshine is softening the snowpack, providing ample water for the vineyards below.
On the Argentine side, the volcanic dust cloud was apparent. I was surprised we were allowed to fly. Volcanic ash can freeze jet engines and make a plane drop out of the sky !
Disembarking our flight at MDZ.
Early evening, about 8 PM riding north through the desert from Mendoza to San Juan.
Volcanic sunset. Tomorrow’s north winds will blast away the dust and send temperatures soaring.
Flight 99 – Newark To Hong Kong
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
On Sunday morning , May 8th. I flew from Miami to Newark to board Continental Flight 99 – a 16 hour, 8450 mile flight to Hong Kong. The flight took off at 3:25 PM . Five minutes later we were over Lower Manhattan.
Less than two hours and and a thousand miles later we were over Northern Quebec – still frozen in May.
After cloudy Baffin Land ( Nunavut ) we cross Greenland.
Northern Greenland – only a few hundred miles from the North Pole.
A Frozen fjord. Note last year’s icebergs trapped below. The local time is close to Midnight.
We cross the Arctic Ocean and fly over the North Pole. Sunday becomes Monday. Above shot is Northern Siberia on Monday afternoon.
Over the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.
Final approach to Chek Lap Kok.
Beautiful Tropical Monday evening landing.
After check- in to the hotel, off to explore the busting streets of Kowloon.
Kowloon Dance Hall.
Delicious Spicy Crab Dinner ! ArcticTropic is back on the ground in Asia !
Over The Pole – EWR-HKG
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
On April 3rd I will return to China , for the first time in a little over a year. This time, the focus will will on South China, entering from Hong Kong and finishing in Shanghai.
After a short flight from Miami to Newark, I will board Continental Flight 99 – the 9th longest flight in the world. Flying time is 15 hours and 50 minutes for the 8055 mile / 12980 km distance. Leaving at 3:45 in the afternoon, the 777-200ER will fly northwest over New York State, Quebec, Hudson’s Bay,Baffin Land , and across the Arctic icecap within about 200 miles of the North Pole. Continuing in the same direction, due south, the plane will travel over Siberia,Manchuria and East China, before landing at 7:45 the NEXT night.Because the northern Arctic is in 24 hour daylight by April, all but the last hour or two of the flight should be sunny – hopefully with few clouds – to enable aerial shots and videos.
ArcticTropic will be meeting with many South China adventure travel providers. If you would like to meet with us between April 4th to 14th please email - travel@arctictropic.com
Newark is also home to the world’s longest flight – to Singapore – 9535 miles/15345 km at 18 hours 50 minutes !
ArcticTropic to Blog With cheapOair
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
ArcticTropic will soon Guest Blog with cheapOair , a leading discount airline website, offering cheap flights everywhere. We will be giving tips for adventure travelers who may be going on an incredible journey,but don’t want to spend too much of their budget on airfare. ArcticTropic , in addition to linking travelers to the best providers, will use extensive travel experience for advice to cheapOair customers as they decide where to fly to – before (or after) they book.
How We Move Across The Earth
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011Time lapse of a typical day across the world’s skies.Note how activity increases and decreases as the sun moves west. Note the little blips over the Arctic,Pacific,Amazon and Atlantic during the night.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
An ArcticTropic friend,Tom Stires, took this shot of Reykjavik Harbor last Saturday morning.The first snow of the season dusts the hills overlooking the city. Iceland , only four hours from New York, makes an ideal getaway for a long weekend. One can stay in town and take day excursions to glaciers,volcanoes and geysers. The nightlife is also great – and in just a few weeks – the nights will be 22 hours long.
Across the Andes By Air
Friday, September 24th, 2010On Friday, September 10th, ArcticTropic travelled back across the Andes, from Mendoza to Santiago, this time in just 45 minutes ! The highlight of the flight is a view of Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m (22,841 ft), the world’s highest mountain outside of the Himalayas.
LAN has 3 daily flights to and from SCL to MDZ. Santiago – gateway to skiing at Portillo, and Mendoza, gateway to the Mendoza and San Juan wine regions.