Window Seat, Please: Flying to Antarctica for the First Time

Hi everyone! My name is Sarai Alvarez Zepeda. I am a PhD student in the Cold Dark Benthos Lab, and this year I am joining Dr. Andrew Thurber and PhD students Jacob Wynne and Paola Santiago Padua as part of the team for the 2026 Antarctic season. I'm beyond excited and thankful for this opportunity because it is my first time traveling to Antarctica! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so grateful to be here doing science along with the rest of the team.

You might be wondering, how we were able to get all the way from our homes in Santa Barbara, CA to Antarctica? First, we started with a short 1.5-hour flight from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to San Francisco, CA. Then we took a slightly longer flight of about 13-hours from San Francisco, CA, to Christchurch, New Zealand. After spending a few days in Christchurch, working and exploring the city, our team was finally able to board a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III for what would be our last flight on the way to Antarctica.

Our team sitting in the waiting room of the US Antarctic Program Passenger Terminal before boarding the C-17 plane (right to left: Andrew, Jacob, Paola, and Sarai).

This plane belongs to the US Air Force and supports the US Antarctic Program by transporting cargo and personnel from Christchurch to Antarctica. Being in it for the first time was mind-blowing because of its size and capacity. All of our team had window seats because we were seated against the walls of the plane. This is done so that there is enough space left in the plane to bring all of our luggage and other cargo that is needed in the McMurdo station.

 The C-17 plane in the background and Jacob admiring Christchurch one last time before boarding the plane.

The flight was smooth and the views were breathtaking. During our flight we were able to look out the small windows of the plane and see how the landscapes slowly changed until we finally saw ice. We were filled with excitement and happiness because that meant we were only hours away from our final destination! After five hours, we finally landed on Phoenix Airfield, Antarctica, where a crew was waiting to drive us to McMurdo Station, which will be our home for the next few months.

That first walk on the ice after leaving the plane that evening at Phoenix Airfield is something I will never forget. The cold air, the beautiful clouds, and the colorful sky will be tattooed on my memory forever.

View of Antarctica from one of the windows in the C-17 plane.