Long distance swimmer Lynne Cox visits March

Michael English, a lead loadmaster at the Boeing C-17 ATS Training Facility, shows author Lynne Cox framed mementos from the first mid-winter air mobility drop over Antarctica in 1981. English was a loadmaster for the historic flight. Cox visited March ARB on September 3 to learn more about the Air Force’s Antarctic missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Megan Just)

Long distance swimmer Lynne Cox visits March

Published Sept. 16, 2009
By Megan Just
452nd AMW Public Affairs

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. -- Author and renowned open water swimmer Lynne Cox visited March ARB on Thursday, September 3, to conduct research for her third book, which will be about Antarctic exploration. The book will focus on Roald Amundsen, who led the first successful expedition to the South Pole. Cox began thinking about writing the book while she was preparing for her personal Antarctic expedition in 2002 where she swam one mile in 32-degree water without wearing a wetsuit.

Cox was on base to learn more about the Air Force's Deep Freeze mission to Antarctica, which used to be flown out of March ARB before the C-141s were replaced with C-17s a few years ago. The mission is now conducted with C-17s from McChord AFB.

Lt. Col. Keith Guilliotte, Lt. Col Tim Harris, and Tracy Gray gave Cox a tour of a C-17 and took to her to the C-17 simulator, where they ran a scenario that simulated landing on an icy runway. Cox's book will be published in 2011, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Roald Amundsen's expedition.