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One of the main tasks of an Antarctic Plumber is “preventative maintenance,” or PMs. So, we as the plumbers are responsible for PMing lots of things all over station (pumps, boilers, etc), and once we’ve checked everything that needs to be checked for that particular thing, it has been PMed. Now that you are familiar with the lingo, we can move on.

One of the best PMs is the galley and bathroom at Willy Field, one of 2 airfields at McMurdo Station. They have to be PMed everyday except Sunday, but it only takes about 10 minutes. Walter and I check all the sinks and toilets and pumps: we’re really just giving everything a quick little once over to make sure it’s not spewing water or sewage all over the place.

The hidden awesomeness here is that Willy Field is about 7 miles from town, out on the ice shelf. It’s at least a 30-minute shuttle ride in a van, and even longer in a Delta or Ivan (nap time, anyone?). On a clear day the views are spectacular: volcanos, pressure ridges, ice that never ends, fata morgana, etc; and on a nasty day it’s just fun to be outside in bad weather.

By the time we ride all the way out there, check everything that needs to be checked, and ride all the way back in to town, it’s time for 10 o’clock break. Boom diggity.

What it really comes down to is that I love my new job, and the Willy Field PM is a big part of it.