News United States Air Force
 New York’s 109th Airlift Wing preps for Greenland missionsPublished April 24, 2022
                        
                        By Airman 1st Class Jocelyn Tuller,
                        
                        
                        New York National Guard
                **STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. (AFNS) --**
                Three **LC-130 Hercules** “Skibirds” and approximately 75 Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s **109th Airlift Wing** will travel for Greenland at the end of April to support **National Science Foundation** research.
The 109th AW flies the aircraft, the largest in the world equipped with skis to land on snow and ice, to conduct resupply missions for American scientific research in Antarctica when it is winter in New York and in Greenland during the summer months.
In 2021, the wing’s Airmen carried 1.3 million pounds of cargo and 32,000 gallons of fuel and delivered 910 passengers to science stations in Greenland. They flew a total of 678 hours.

The 109th Airlift Wing supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from October 2021 through February 2022.A U.S. Air Force Airman refuels a LC-130 Hercules “Skibird” assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, while it is loaded with cargo to be delivered to a research station in Antarctica. The 109th AW supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from October 2021 through February 2022. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Maj. Shay Price)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    The 109th Airlift Wing supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from October 2021 through February 2022An LC-130 “Skibird” assigned to the to the 109th Airlift Wing, New York National Guard, is prepped for a mission at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The 109th Airlift Wing supported the 34th season of Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from October 2021 through February 2022
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    Three LC-130 aircraft sit on the flightline during Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Research Station (Williams Field), Antarctica, in 2021.Three LC-130 Hercules “Skibird” aircraft sits on the flight line during Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Research Station (Williams Field), Antarctica, in 2021. The LC-130 is equipped with retractable skis and JATO rockets that allow the aircraft to take off and land on snow and ice as well as on conventional runways. The U.S. Air Force has provided intercontinental airlift support to the National Science Foundation research stations in Antarctica since the 1950’s. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dominic Tyler)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res


The aircraft and Airmen departing at the end of the month are the first of six rotations of 75 to 100 Airmen and three aircraft scheduled throughout the summer support season. The season is to end in August.
The Airmen fly from **Stratton Air National Guard Base** in Scotia, near Schenectady, to Kangerlussuaq International Airport in Greenland, which serves as their operating base.
This year, the main focus is training Airmen from the 109th AW and supporting ongoing construction at **Summit Station**, which is operated by the NSF.
Summit Station is the only high altitude, high latitude, inland, year‐round observing station in the Arctic. Summit Station is funded by the NSF and supports their research due to Greenland’s weather conditions. Located at the apex of the Greenland ice sheet, it is staffed in the winter by a team of five people.
In 2021, the wing spent an extra eight days in Greenland to retrieve a construction team from Summit Station.
In 2021, the 109th AW also deployed an aircraft and Airmen to Greenland to support a **Danish search and rescue training exercise** in addition to their regular science station resupply mission.
“The time frame this year is more aligned with what it normally would be,” said Maj. Jacob Papp, Greenland operations chief.
The 109th AW will also conduct arctic survival training at Raven Camp. All members of the 109th AW who deploy to Antarctica and Greenland must attend this training.
Some members from the 109th AW deployed to Greenland at the beginning of April to prepare for the season to come.
“This Greenland season has potential to be a good season for both parties with the National Science Foundation and the 109th as far as getting people spun up,” Papp said. “The key this year is to get ready for the **Operation Deep Freeze** season and align for a successful season in Antarctica.”FS 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Stratton ANG Base 



NYANG 



109th AW 



National Science Foundation 



LC-130 Hercules 



Skibird 



Greenland 



mission 



training 



Aircraft 



Summit Station 



Operation Deep Freeze