VX - 6 Air Development Squadron Six ( VX - 6 or AIRDEVRON SIX , commonly referred to by its nickname , " puckered penguins " ) was a United States Navy Air Development Squadron based at McMurdo Station , Antarctica . Established at Naval Air Station Patuxent River , Maryland on 17 January 1955 , the squadron ' s mission was to conduct operations in support of Operation Deep Freeze , the operational component of the United States Antarctic Program . Using the tail code " XD " , the squadron flew numerous fixed - wing aircraft and helicopter s over the course of its existence — many of which were pioneering endeavors . For example , the first air link between Antarctica and New Zealand was established by men and aircraft of VX - 6 in 1955 . The following year , a ski - equipped R4D Dakota of VX - 6 became the first aircraft to land at the South Pole . In 1961 , the first emergency midwinter medical evacuation flight was conducted from Byrd Station to Christchurch . In 1963 , an LC - 130F Hercules of VX - 6 made the longest flight in Antarctic history . In 1967 , a United States Navy LC - 130F of VX - 6 completed the first scheduled winter flight to Antarctica , landing at Williams Field . VX - 6 changed the tail code of its aircraft to " JD " in 1957 , and was redesignated as Antarctic Development Squadron Six ( VXE - 6 ) on 1 January 1969 . Over the 14 - year course of its existence , seventeen sailors and marines assigned to VX - 6 died in Antarctica during Operation Deep Freeze missions . History . VX - 6 traces its roots to Operation Highjump ( 1946 – 1947 ) , the fourth Antarctic expedition conducted by United States Navy Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd . That expedition set out in December 1946 to conduct an extensive aerial survey of Antarctica , using Martin PBM Mariner s based in the pack ice of the Ross Sea , as well as land - based R4D Dakotas ( Dakota , from the acronym " DACoTA " for " Douglas Aircraft Company Transport Aircraft " , was the designation used by the United States Navy to refer to the Douglas C - 47 Skytrain ) . By the time Operation Highjump was concluded in late February 1947 , the team had mapped about of coastline and of the interior of the continent . VX - 6 was one of six air development squadrons formed by the United States Navy beginning in 1946 to develop and evaluate aircraft tactics and techniques . These squadrons were initially directed by the Operational Development Force , which was redesignated in May 1959 as the Operational Test and Evaluation Force ( OPTEVFOR ) . These six squadrons were initially designated as VX - 1 ( tail code " XA " ) , VX - 2 ( tail code " XB " ) , VX - 3 ( tail code " XC " ) , VX - 4 ( tail code " XF " ) , VX - 5 ( tail code " XE " ) and VX - 6 ( tail code " XD " ) . On 1 January 1969 , the surviving Air Development Squadrons ( VX - 1 , VX - 4 , VX - 5 and VX - 6 ) became Air Test and Evaluation Squadrons . Their designations were changed to VXE - 1 , VXE - 4 , VXE - 5 and VXE - 6 . Their tail codes of these squadrons were changed to " JA " , " JF " , " JE " and " JD " , respectively . Operation Deep Freeze I and II . Air Development Squadron Six ( VX - 6 ) was formally established on 17 January 1955 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River , Maryland . The squadron ' s mission was to conduct aviation operations in support of United States Department of Defense responsibilities in connection with the United States Antarctic Program . On 1 February , Task Force 43 was activated to plan Antarctic operations scheduled to begin in the fall under the code name Operation Deep Freeze , with Captain George J . Dufek as commanding officer . Dufek would remain as commanding officer through Operation Deep Freeze IV , which concluded in 1959 . The mission of Task Force 43 was to provide all the logistical support necessary for the successful U . S . participation in the upcoming International Geophysical Year ( 1957 – 8 ) . More specifically , this meant that Task Force 43 was responsible for the construction of airstrips and iceport s and the establishment of bases on Antarctica that would enable scientists to conduct geophysical studies upon that continent . On 14 November , the flagship of the recently promoted RADM Dufek , Commander Task Force 43 , steamed from Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia to rendezvous in New Zealand with other ships of the task force for the onward voyage to Antarctica . VX - 6 made its first deployment at that time as part of Task Force 43 ( the logistics arm of Operation Deep Freeze ) . That first season , VX - 6 completed nine long - range exploratory flights . The squadron also transported people and materials necessary for the construction of Little America Base Camp , the Naval Air Operations Facility on Hut Point Peninsula ( Ross Island ) , the first South Pole Station ( now referred to as " Old Pole " ) , and assisted in the establishment of four other bases on the continent . On 20 December 1955 , two Lockheed P2V - 2 Neptunes and two R5D Skymasters ( R5D was the designation used by the United States Navy to refer to the Douglas C - 54 Skymaster ) established the first air link between Antarctica and New Zealand with a flight from Christchurch to McMurdo Station . Following its return from Operation Deep Freeze I in February 1956 , VX - 6 was relocated to Naval Air Station Quonset Point , Rhode Island . Naval Construction Battalion Center Davisville , the site of manufacture of the first Quonset hut s , was also located at Quonset Point . NCBC Davisville was the home of Naval Construction Battalion 200 , which had been established to perform the construction of any facilities required by the United States Antarctic Program . In September of that year , LCDR Ray E . Hall drew the first rendition of " Puckered Pete " , a cartoon character which later became the unofficial mascot of VX - 6 . On 31 October 1956 , during Operation Deep Freeze II , " Qué Será Será " , a ski - equipped R4D Dakota piloted by LCDR Conrad S . Shinn , became the first plane to land at the South Pole . The seven United States Navy men ( RADM George J . Dufek , CAPT Douglas L . Cordiner , CAPT William M . Hawkes , LCDR Conrad S . Shinn , LT John R . Swadener , AD2 John P . Strider , and AT2 William A . Cumbie , Jr . ) aboard that aircraft were the first to stand at this spot in 44 years , the last being Robert Falcon Scott ' s ill - fated Terra Nova Expedition in January 1912 . RADM Dufek had chosen LCDR Shinn and his flight crew to attempt the landing , which was an extraordinary undertaking since the South Pole was almost above sea level where the aircraft engines would operate considerably below their optimum power levels . In addition it was expected that extremely cold conditions could be expected on the surface . The landing party remained at the South Pole for only 49 minutes , setting up navigational aids to assist the future delivery of materials and equipment for constructing a scientific observation station at the spot . Also in 1956 , an R4D Dakota delivered the first group of 11 Seabee s and 11 dog sled s , together with tents and other equipment to the South Pole , to begin construction of the first South Pole Station . 1957 – 1969 . In 1957 , the first letter of all the east - coast - based VX squadrons , including VX - 6 , was changed from X to J . In January 1958 , a VX - 6 UC - 1 Otter made the first wheels - on - dirt landing in Antarctica at Marble Point . On 1 October 1959 , RADM David M . Tyree ( Commander , U . S . Naval Support Force Antarctica from 14 April 1959 – 26 November 1962 ) arrived at Naval Air Facility McMurdo Station from Christchurch aboard an R5D Skymaster piloted by LCDR J . A . Henning of VX - 6 . This first flight of the season marked the operational implementation of Operation Deep Freeze V . On 9 – 10 April 1961 , the first midwinter medical evacuation flight was conducted to rescue Leonid Kuperov , a seriously ill Soviet scientist , from Byrd Station . Two VX - 6 C - 130BL Hercules from Quonset Point flew from to Christchurch . One ( piloted by CDR Lloyd E . Newcomer ) then flew on to Byrd Station to pick up Kuperov , while the other stood by in Christchurch . The total distance flown during this rescue mission was just under 13000 miles . On 22 February 1963 , an LC - 130F Hercules of VX - 6 made the longest flight in Antarctic history , covering territory never before seen by man . The plane ( piloted by CDR William H . Everett and carrying RADM James R . Reedy ( Commander , U . S . Naval Support Force Antarctica from November 1962 – April 1965 ) among its passengers , made the flight from McMurdo Station , beyond the South Pole to the Shackleton Range and then southeastward to the pole of inaccessibility before returning to McMurdo Station ; the duration of this journey was 10 hours and 40 minutes . Also in February 1963 , VX - 6 completed the first delivery of bulk fuel by a Lockheed LC - 130 Hercules . On 26 June 1964 , an LC - 130F Hercules , commanded by LT Robert V . Mayer of VX - 6 , completed a round - trip flight from Christchurch to Antarctica in an emergency evacuation of petty officer B . L . McMullen , critically injured in a fall . As in the earlier medical evacuation of 1961 , two planes , with teams of medical specialists on board , flew from NAS Quonset Point to Christchurch where one plane stood by while the other undertook the hazardous flight . On 30 September 1964 , three LC - 130 Hercules aircraft of VX - 6 took off from Melbourne , Christchurch and Punta Arenas , respectively . The three aircraft flew to Antarctica , landing on Williams Field , from McMurdo Station . The flight from Melbourne , the first in history from Australia to Antarctica , passed over the South Pole to drop a 50 - pound sack of mail to the wintering - over party , then landed at Byrd Station before proceeding to McMurdo Station . The arrival of RADM Reedy on this flight marked the official opening of Operation Deep Freeze 1965 . Also in 1964 , VX - 6 conducted the first flight from Cape Town , South Africa to McMurdo Station , the first flight of a U . S . aircraft to the Soviet Vostok Station , and the first successful demonstration of trimetrogon aerial photography , used extensively to map Antarctica . On 7 June 1966 , a C - 130 Hercules , piloted by CDR Marion Morris of VX - 6 , returned to Christchurch after a flight to McMurdo Station to evacuate UT - 2 Robert L . Mayfield , who had been critically injured in a fall . It was the third emergency air evacuation from Antarctica during the winter night . On 18 June 1967 , The first scheduled winter flight to Antarctica was successfully completed when a United States Navy LC - 130F of VX - 6 flying from Christchurch landed at Williams Field . Although earlier winter flights had been made to Antarctica as a result of medical emergencies , this was the first planned flight . On 2 December 1967 , an LC - 117D Skytrooper landed at McMurdo Station from Hallett Station . This was the last C - 117 flight on the Antarctic continent , marking the end of 11 years of service to VX - 6 by the Douglas C - 47 Skytrain airframe . On 1 January 1969 , VX - 6 was redesignated as Antarctic Development Squadron Six ( VXE - 6 ) . Aircraft . In support of Operation Deep Freeze , the squadron operated a variety of aircraft throughout the course of its existence . Fixed - wing aircraft included the Grumman UF - 1L Albatross , UC - 1 Otter , Douglas Skytrain ( R4D Dakota and C - 47 models ) , Douglas Skymaster ( R5D and C - 54 models ) , Lockheed Neptune ( P2V - 2 and P2V - 7 models ) , Lockheed Constellation ( R7D and R7V models ) , and the Lockheed LC - 130 Hercules . The ski - equipped LC - 130 Hercules , whose long range and heavy load capability significantly increased the capabilities of the unit , was introduced during Operation Deep Freeze 1961 . Helicopters included the Sikorsky Seahorse ( HUS - 1A and HUS - 1L models ) , and the Sikorsky HO4S - 3 . Aviation accidents and incidents . Seventeen sailors and marines assigned to VX - 6 died in Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze . On 18 October 1956 , a P2V - 2 Neptune crashed at McMurdo Station during a landing in whiteout conditions , killing David W . Carey , Rayburn A . Hudman , Marion O . Marze , and Charles S . Miller . On 12 July 1957 , an HO4S - 3 crashed in the vicinity of McMurdo Station during austral winter , killing Nelson R . Cole . On 4 January 1959 , a UC - 1 Otter crashed on takeoff at Marble Point , killing Harvey E . Gardner and Lawrence J . Farrell . On 9 November 1961 , a P2V - 7 crashed on takeoff from Wilkes Station , killing William D . Counts , Romuald P . Compton , William W . Chastain , James L . Gray and passenger geologist Dr . Edward C . Thiel . On 2 February 1966 , a LC - 47J crashed on Ross Ice Shelf during takeoff , killing Ronald Rosenthal , Harold M . Morris , William D . Fordell , Richard S . Simmons , Wayne M . Shattuck , and Charles C . Kelley .