109th Airlift Members leave for annual Antarctic support mission on Tuesday, Oct. 19

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An LC-130 "Skibird" of the 109th Airlift Wing taking off in Antarctica.

STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SCOTIA, NY (10/17/2016)(readMedia)-- Two LC-130s and aircrew with the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing are scheduled to depart for McMurdo Station Antarctica, on Oct. 18 in support of the 29th season of Operation Deep Freeze. Operation Deep Freeze is the logistical support that the military provides to the National Science Foundation-managed U.S. Antarctic Program.

WHO: Two ski-equipped LC-130s and their aircrews (23 Airmen) are scheduled to take off from Stratton Air National Guard Base, N.Y.

WHAT: Every year, Airmen and aircraft with the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing head for Antarctica to support the National Science Foundation.

WHEN: 8 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, 2016 (Time has been allocated for interviews before the first flight takes off)

WHERE: 109th Airlift Wing, 1 Air National Guard Rd., Scotia, NY, 12302

Members of the media MUST contact MSgt Catharine Schmidt by either calling or texting (518) 701-4312 or calling (518) 344-2423 no later than 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, in order to gain access to the secure facility.

Media Opportunity:

Interviews will be available with 109th Airlift Wing officials to discuss this year's ODF season. There will also be an opportunity to obtain imagery of the aircraft taking off for Antarctica from the base.

BACKGROUND:

Throughout the season, which runs through February, a total of six LC-130 ski-equipped aircraft and about 500 Airmen are expected to deploy. About 120 Airmen will be deployed on the ice at any one time.

During the 2015-16 season, the 109th flew an estimated 3,900 researchers plus about 4 million pounds of cargo and 1.2 million pounds of fuel to research stations across Antarctica.

The unique capabilities of the ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft make it the only one of its kind in the U.S. military, able to land on snow and ice. The primary mission of the 109th AW is to provide airlift within Antarctica, flying to various remote locations from McMurdo Station. Crews will transport scientists, support, fuel, supplies, medical supplies and more throughout the season.

The 109th AW has been supporting the NSF's South Pole research since 1988. Since 1999, the unit has been the sole provider of this type of airlift to the NSF and U.S. Antarctic research efforts.