In Arctic Siberia

Abstract The Old Antonov 24, nearing the end of its twice-weekly flight from Anadyr, broke out of low cloud over the Bering Sea. Wheels and wing-flaps clunked into place, the whine of turboprops dropped in pitch, the loosely bolted seats and the piles of freight lashed at the front of the cabin bega...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: McGhee, Robert
Format: Book Part
Language:unknown
Published: Oxford University PressNew York, NY 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192807304.003.0005
https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/51979688/isbn-9780912807304-book-part-5.pdf
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Summary:Abstract The Old Antonov 24, nearing the end of its twice-weekly flight from Anadyr, broke out of low cloud over the Bering Sea. Wheels and wing-flaps clunked into place, the whine of turboprops dropped in pitch, the loosely bolted seats and the piles of freight lashed at the front of the cabin began to vibrate as we sank towards grey water lined with whitecaps. Suddenly we crossed a gravel beach, then an expanse of grassy tundra littered with oil drums and rusted chunks of abandoned machinery. The airstrip lay in the centre of the small town, and a confusing panorama of decrepit buildings and smoking metal stacks scrolled past the window as we touched down. My seatmate, a Chukchi teenager dressed in jeans and ski jacket, stirred from sleep for the first time since we came aboard, and stared out the window at home.