109th launches first aircraft of Antarctic support season Friday morning, Oct. 16

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An LC-130 Skibird lands at the South Pole Station, Antarctica on December 15th 2012, bring supplies, passengers and fuel to the station.

STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SCOTIA, NY (10/15/2015)(readMedia)-- An LC-130 "Skibird" and aircrew with the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing will depart for McMurdo Station Antarctica, on Oct. 16 in support of the National Science Foundation, launching the 28th season of Operation Deep Freeze.

WHO: One ski-equipped LC-130 and its aircrew will be taking 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: 7:15 a.m., Friday, Oct. 16, 2015. This arrival time allows time for pre-flight interviews. Aircraft leaves at 9 a.m.

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

Members of the media MUST contact TSgt Catharine Schmidt by either calling or texting (518) 701-4312 or calling (518) 344-2423 no later than 6:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 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 seven LC-130 ski-equipped aircraft and about 500 Airmen are expected to deploy, with 330 missions planned. About 120 Airmen will be deployed on the ice at any one time.

During the 2014-15 season, the 109th flew 241 missions, delivering more than 3,000 passengers and 4.5 million pounds of cargo and 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.

This year, the IcePod missions are expected to increase from the previous season. The IcePod, an imaging system that can measure the depth of an ice sheet, was flown for the first time in Antarctica last season, and was deemed one of the biggest successes of the year.

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.