The novel “Un monde au-delà des hommes” by Catherine Hermary-Vieille.
The novel ” Un monde au-delà des hommes” will be of particular interest to readers whose knowledge of early Antarctic expeditions is limited. If you don’t know whether Norway’s Roald Amundsen or Britain’s Robert Scott reached the South Pole in Antarctica first, don’t do the research before opening this book. You’ll find it much more interesting.
In the days of the great conquests of the planet’s uncharted territories, explorers risked their lives for the glory of their country. Here, Norway and Great Britain race to reach the South Pole first.
This historical novel runs to just 134 pages, allowing the author to concentrate on the essentials. She has divided the book into two parts. The first focuses on Amundsen, the second on Scott. The two men used very different methods to achieve their ends. At the beginning of the book, she includes a map showing the routes chosen by each team and the stopovers they agreed on.
Author Catherine Hermary-Vieille discusses the preparation of the journey, the strategic choices made regarding objectives, the obstacles encountered along the way, not to mention the mental attitude adopted by each explorer and the members of the expedition.
Back cover of the novel “Un monde au-delà des hommes” by Catherine Hermary-Vieille.
On this trip, one of the two expedition leaders will use sledge dogs as their main means of transport, while the other will try to make progress with mules. One will have only one objective in mind, the other will have several goals to achieve. One will behave as a flexible leader, the other will be more intransigent. The choices and attitude of each explorer will have a direct impact on the success of the expedition.
It’s worth noting that the two competitors don’t start their journey to Antarctica at the same time, so there’s an imbalance right from the start as to when they’ll arrive at the South Pole. But even so, once you know this, there’s still a frozen continent to cross, men to feed, crevasses to avoid and frostbite to treat. You also have to be able to come back alive.
A novel like this can be read in a day. We can forgive a few sketchy descriptions and even a small error like the one on page 19, where the name of the Inuit dog “Funcha” appears twice in the list. These distractions don’t detract from the intensity of the story. These are, after all, the stories of men who went to the very end of themselves for the glory of their country.
Today, we’re witnessing a similar race between countries to send humans to the planet Mars. Which country will get there first? And once it gets there, will it have the right to claim a planet for itself at the expense of Earth’s other humans?
Click on the link for more biography books on my blog.
Cover page of the manga “Les montagnes hallucinées”, by Gou Tanabe.
Gou Tanabe presents H.P. Lovecraft’s masterpiece “Les montagnes hallucinées” (the French version of “At the Mountains of Madness”) as a two-volume manga. Leafing through Lovecraft is in itself a journey into the strange, but to do so by starting at the end of a book and reading from right to left adds to the weirdness of the experience.
This transposition of Lovecraft into manga is a success. And the statistics prove it. The 382 reviews left on Amazon show clear customer satisfaction, with a total of 4.9/5 stars at the time of writing.
I normally prefer color comics and graphic novels, but the black-and-white interpretation of Lovecraft’s work is a perfect match for the fantasy world into which Tanabe plunges us.
A page from the manga “Les montagnes hallucinées” from Lovecraft, by Gou Tanabe.
Lovecraft makes a phantasmagorical work credible by integrating a well-balanced mix of real and fictional elements into the plot. Unless you’re an archaeologist and paleontologist yourself, it’s hard to tell which data really belong to science. This helps to frame the reader. You recognize moments of pure imagination, but you’re still hooked.
I put myself in the shoes of someone who lived in Lovecraft’s time, when Antarctica was still a mysterious continent, unexplored in its entirety. A story filled with elements of fiction would gain in credibility, while no one could really confirm or deny some of the author’s statements.
A page from the graphic novel “Les montagnes hallucinées”.
In “Les montagnes hallucinées”, we read about sailing, aviation, extreme weather and survival in icy, isolated spaces. Readers witness the problems experienced by the various crews exploring Antarctica. The scientists’ increasingly startling discoveries force them to make risky decisions that plunge them into an unknown world. In short, themes that still appeal to most people today.
The two volumes total around 650 pages, which can be flipped through with interest in a single day, since many plates include no text at all.
French version of Chasing the Thunder: “À la poursuite du Thunder”.
This book is sure to please fans who can understand French and true stories. “In pursuit of the Thunder – the story of the longest naval chase of all time” quickly hooks us, especially since it is a first in maritime history. The authors of this investigative story are two experienced journalists by the name of Eskil Engdal and Kjetil Saeter.
The information they were able to collect through multiple interviews around the world allows the reader to better understand what hides behind the theft of fishery resources in Antarctica.
This illegal fishing is a big business where the mafia, especially Spanish, does not hesitate to order the cutting of fishing nets or simply to sink a trawler to prevent the obtaining of evidence. Click on the link for a video of this maritime accident.
The chase takes place in inhospitable waters and spans several months and over 15,000 kilometers as we follow the stories of several members of the chase team as well as the illegal fishermen.
The authors discuss the squandering of resources, the lax legislation regarding illegal fishing in international waters, the methods that criminals use to remove a boat’s registration from the registers, the lack of political courage at the international level, the omerta that reigns in the villages where illegal fishermen operate, money laundering and modern slavery.
The Thunder’s captain does everything in his power to escape the pursuers. This escape leads him to sail in very risky areas through passages almost blocked by ice, hoping that the smaller pursuing ship will not dare to venture on the same route. He also steers his trawler into areas where strong waves risk sinking the pursuing ship.
Captain Peter Hammerstedt of the pursuit ship Bob Barker does not back down from any obstacle that stands in his way during the chase. He shows a determination that infuriates the Thunder’s crew and lead them to make mistakes.
The ecological thriller Chasing the Thunder was screened in 2019 at the World Biodiversity Conference.
In March 2023, more than 100 countries signed a treaty on high seas diversity, after 15 years of effort. Greenpeace welcomed the treaty, but demands that it be translated into action…
Reading this book alone will awaken the reader to many previously under-reported aspects of illegal fishing on the high seas, all in the context of a hunt unique in the history of maritime shipping.
Front cover of the book “The Man and His Art” by R.G. Smith
« We had no television in those days, so my evenings were spent reading history or drawing, mostly airplanes”.
“[Lieutenant Commander Beaumont] influenced my life as an artist. […] He participated in Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. Where others saw only white and blue in this frigid area, Beaumont found wonderful color and conveyed same in his art. He added alcohol to his paints to prevent them from freezing as he worked in sub-zero temperatures for 30 minute intervals, retreating to a warmer area before going out again”.
“It was Beaumont who taught me composition, color balance, and how to look at a subject and translate the visual image to paper or canvas”.
“Beaumont emphasized it wasn’t necessary to reproduce an exact replica of a scene as long as the end result achieved dramatic impact”.
“Bob Poole taught me […] how to grey down vivid colors. He also taught me that by blending colors, I could add motion to aircrafts and add subtlety to harsh lines”.
“Understanding light and its effects is obviously critical to an artist […]. For instance, as the descending sun caught the side of a rusty tanker, it created a starkly bright copper tone. We learned that if we didn’t try to emulate that color on paper within 30 minutes, the light would be lost, and the rich copper tone would quickly change to a dingy, lifeless brown”.
“Aspiring artists want to know how to draw and paint, but very few want to take the time to learn”.
“Refrain from ever being satisfied with your work. Never stop rehearsing you craft. Every painting is another step in an endless learning curve. Achievement comes from hard work, discipline, and a constant program of practice and learning”.
“Accuracy requires study and thorough knowledge of your subject. […] Generally, more than 50 percent of the time invested in a painting went into research”.
Back cover of the book “The Man and His Art” by R.G. Smith
“As to planning a picture, my approach usually entailed making several sketches of ideas for the scene I wanted to create before deciding on the final composition”.
“Create the background first, knowing beforehand where you intend to place the aircraft, which should be the last phase of your painting”.
“My criticism of much of aviation art today is that many artists feel they must paint every rivet on an aircraft, or every line on a ship. It often appears as though some artists cut their aircraft from a photograph and paste it on the background”.
“[…] the eye and the brain do most of the work, connecting the dots and lines. In other words, you don’t have to include every detail, just a suggestion of detail”.
“Study the works of artists you admire, or whose style you want to emulate”.
“Some artists only see an airplane as a mechanical object. As a result, their depiction of them is mechanical, stilted portraits of aircraft rather than a picture with character, motion, or some measure of dramatic quality”.
“I’m not a complicated man and it has never taken much in the way of material things to make me happy. Most of my pleasures have come from my family, my career, my hobby, my books, and my friends. The wonderful experiences and opportunities that came my way were frosting on the cake”.
Title: The Man and His Art. R.G. Smith / an Autobiography (with Rosario “Zip” Rausa) Author: R.G. Smith with Rosario “Zip” Rausa Copyright: 1999 by R.G. Smith Edition: Schiffer Publishing Limited ISBN: 0-7643-0755-X
Aerial view of the Rothera research station in Antarctica.
For this flight, you will need the Antarctica X flight simulation software made by Aerosoft.
The maintenance of BAS Twin Otters and their Dash-7 is done in Calgary, Canada, and head to Antarctica during the austral summer, between October and March. So if you want to try a flight simulation with a Twin Otter or a Dash-7 from Chile to Antarctica, pick one of those months as it is more realistic.
Since it would be a bit long to make all the virtual flights from Canada to Antarctica, I chose to do the last three legs to see what the landscape looks like.
A Twin Otter is normally approved for a maximum take-off weight of 12,500 pounds. But with skis weighing 800 pounds and additional fuel required to fly longer legs, BAS (British Antarctic Survey) has arranged to have their Twin Otters approved at 14,000 pounds. Even at this weight, the aircraft could still operate on one engine.
First, the aircraft departs La Florida airport (SCSE) in Chile, after a mandatory fuel stop before its next destination, the El Tepual de Puerto Montt airport (SCTE), also in Chile.
Airborne from La Florida, Chile, after refueling.
This virtual flight with the Twin Otter last about 4:25 hours (696 nm) with a heading of 185 degrees.
In flight towards El Tepual de Puerto Montt, Chile.
For the screen captures, FTX Global, FTX Vector and Pilot’s FS Global 2010 were installed. Orbx has also reworked the original El Tepual de Puerto Montt airport to include some people, aircrafts and new buildings. It makes for a more interesting destination.
Twin Otter on final approach for El Tepual de Puerto Montt, Chile.
Ready for refueling at the El Tepual de Puerto Montt, Chile.
The next flight is from the El Tepual de Puerto Montt airport (SCTE) to Punta Arenas (SCCI), both in Chile.
Twin Otter aircraft airborne and heading to Punta Arenas, Chile.
This flight, made low across the Andes, absolutely requires good weather. You will have to climb to 17,000 feet to make the direct route between the airports.
Twin Otter over the Andes climbing for17,000 feet
There are often spectacular views available to the virtual pilot. Yes, the BAS Twin Otter is flown by only one pilot, but there is always somebody else accompanying him.
Don’t forget to lean the mixture during the climb. Also use some additional oxygen (!!) if you don’t want to start singing and flying in circles after a while. Again, pay attention to the mixture during the descent, considering that you will be losing close to 17,000 feet.
Refueling at Punta Arenas, Chile.
The Punta Arenas airport, straight from FSX, is not an interesting airport to look at. It is a very bare airport, with just a single building and a VOR.
But since the BAS pilot do that mandatory leg just before heading to Antarctica, I chose not to change the route. The general direction for the flight to Punta Arenas was 164 degrees and the duration approximately 4:28 hours. You can obviously accelerate the process once the aircraft is established at its flying altitude.
The last flight is from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Rothera, Antarctica.
Twin Otter aircraft heading for the Rothera airport in Antarctica.
The Twin Otter will take between six and seven hours on an average heading of 162 degrees to cover the distance between Punta Arenas (SCCI) and Rothera (EGAR).
Over the snowy mountains of Chile towards Rothera, Antarctica
Carrying extra fuel on the flight towards Rothera, Antarctica.
The runway at Rothera is made of gravel and is 2953 feet long. That is plenty for the Twin Otter and the DASH-7. Before you make the flight, go into the aerosoft/Antarctica X file in your flight simulator and click on the “LOD 8.5” option (the default is at LOD 4.5). It will give you much better details when you are approaching Antarctica.
The antarctic Rothera research station is in sight
Twin Otter aircraft on final at Rothera, Antarctica.
The Airliner World magazine had an excellent article on the BAS operations in Antarctica in its March 2017 edition. It included plenty of interesting pictures and detailed explanations on what is expected from pilots and personnel working for BAS. I compared the Rothera virtual airport with the real one through the available pictures in Airliner World and was pleasantly surprised with the level of accuracy of the details.
A British Antarctic Survey Twin Otter aircraft is landing on the Rothera runway, Antarctica
The BAS always prepares itself for the worst: “[It] carries parts valued at around $5m, including a replacement engine for each aircraft, spare props and undercarriage components”.
Twin Otter aircraft after a landing on the Rothera runway, Antarctica
“A new development for the Air Unit has been its work with the RAF, using C-130 Hercules transports to airdrop supplies into the field. They fly from Punta Arenas and drop fuel to support our science programmes on the Ronne Ice Shelf. […] It is all part of their training system and the accuracy they drop to is very impressive. They might drop 250 drums, think how many Twin Otter trips that would have been for us (48 or more than 400 flying hours)”.
The main hangar in Rothera, Antarctica.
Aerosoft has made an excellent job in replicating the buildings in Rothera, BAS’s main research station in Antarctica. The biggest hangar can accommodate three Twin Otters and a Dash-7 altogether.
Inside the main hangar at the Rothera research station, Antarctica.
When your flight is over, do not forget to change the settings back to LOD 4.5 for Antarctica in your aerosoft/Antarctica X files.
DC-3 at the Homer (PAHO) virtual airport in Alaska (FSX)
If you feel like attempting a virtual landing on an ice runway, an opportunity is offered by ORBX through their Homer (PAHO), Alaska virtual airport. For the flight, I used the FSX platform but it could have been also done under P3D.
DC-3 on skis airborne from the Homer (PAHO) virtual airport in Alaska (FSX)
The ice runway is just a short distance away from the regular Homer asphalted runway. The DC-3 is an excellent aircraft for the task since its approach speed is very low and it is one of the few virtual aircrafts equipped with skis.
A DC-3 on skis is turning final for the Homer ice runway in Alaska (FSX)
If you want to try that flight, make sure to adjust the flight simulator configuration settings so that the Homer ice runway option is activated, otherwise you’ll end up under water…
In order to add a bit of challenge as well as winter realism, you can add a bit of crosswinds or some snow using the standard « heavy snow » option in FSX. The program PrecipitFX helps a lot if you are looking for a better definition of precipitations, be it snow or rain. For this flight, the Cumulus X program was also activated.
Cockpit view of a virtual DC-3 on final for the Homer (PAHO) ice runway in Alaska (FSX)
Virtual DC-3 on skis on short final for the Homer (PAHO) ice runway in Alaska (FSX)
Virtual DC-3 on skis about to touch the threshold of the Homer ice runway in Alaska (FSX)
The short flight proved to be an interesting experience, since the runway was narrow and there were some crosswinds. I thought that it would be very slippery but it was not the case. Maybe one day Orbx, in association with the FSX Steam (Dovetail Games) professionals, will work at modifying the flight simulation platform and add a CRFI (JBI) index of .40 or less to increase the difficulty in slowing down and controlling the virtual aircraft?
A DC-3 on skis flying few feet over the Homer (PAHO) (FSX) ice runway, a product of the ORBX company
A virtuel DC-3 on skis after a landing on the Homer (PAHO) ice runway in Alaska (FSX)
A DC-3 virtual on skis backtracking the Homer (PAHO) ice runway in Alaska (FSX)
As this flight is not a super though exercise, I have placed it in the “standard virtual flights”, in the flight simulation section of my website. For more of those flights, click on the following link: Other standard virtual flights
Have fun trying this one! Later on, I’ll present another ice runway located on Antarctica, which virtual scenery was made by Aerosoft. Even the C-17 Globemaster III is approved there…
For more articles on flight simulation on my web site, click on the following link : Flight simulation
