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Walkabout: Open Skies
Pack a parka, we're going polar
By DAFFYD RODERICK
October
13, 2000
Web posted at 2:00 p.m. Hong Kong time, 2:00 a.m. EDT
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Despite Albert Einstein's theories to the contrary, when it comes to travel, the shortest distance is usually a straight line. So that's why it's absurd that a flight from New York to Singapore goes first to London, then to New Delhi, and then finally on to Singapore. There's nothing wrong with London or New Delhi, but if you're just going there to admire the tarmac at Heathrow and Indira Ghandi International Airport, why would you bother?
The reason flights take such an unwieldy route, is politics. Call it a cold war hangover. To fly a straight line -- and knock almost 3,000 km off the journey -- you have to fly over Russia. And flights over Russia, as Korean Airlines and the world knows, were never recommended unless you were in a spy plane. But with the current warm, fuzzy state of affairs (Russia's broke and really needs the rubles from the user fees), commercial aircraft have been flying North America/Asia polar routes for more than a year.
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Unfortunately, the navigational support in place for the routes can't handle more than a few planes a day. But the Russians and Canadians, who each own a patch of the icy ground beneath our polar-bound wings, are going to invest the money to open the routes up to as many as 8,000 flights a year. So it's inevitable that you're going to be on a flight soon and have the pilot say, 'Baby, we're going polar!'
So how do you prepare for an icy experience? As a Canadian who has enjoyed temperatures sinking to minus -43.C, I feel uniquely qualified to offer some advice -- for once in my journalistic career. Here it is:
First thing you're going to have to consider is apparel. Forget about layering. Think fur. It's worked for the Inuit -- not Eskimos... never Eskimos -- so it should work for you. A silky mink, or a bright red furry fox will do nicely. If you have political problems with wearing fur, bring a dog or a cat and ask nicely if they'll cuddle up to you.
Second, bring a thermos. The mercury can drop down to -70.C, so you're going to need something warm to drink to get you through until at least Siberia. Vodka is the obvious choice. After all, it's warded off the cold for millions of Russians, why not you? Airlines are notoriously stingy with the hard liquor these days, so bring your own.
Third, bring a small, charcoal-burning furnace. While it'll be tough to get on board, it will win you friends and companions once aloft.
Fourth, fly with a companion. Enough said.
Finally, take a compass. It won't work, but it will make you look like you're in the know. And sometimes, that's all that matters.
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