When members of the just discovered York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing talk about going southern during the winter.

When members of the just discovered York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing talk about going southern during the winter, they don't discuss Mississippi, Louisiana or Florida. They talk about their possess version of the "deep south" -- Antarctica. And for them, the path southerly leads north through Greenland.

The unit maintains and files the world's simply fleet of LC-130 Hercules aircraft, specially equipped with permanently fixed skis to land at those off-the-beaten-path locations establish in the polar regions. These skis are metal with Teflon coating and can support up to 155000 immediately after landing.

For an extra boost during lift-off from an icy runway, the LC-130 relies forward auxiliary take off bottles replete of solid fuel rocket propellant -- high hilled four on each side -- that are armed and ignited through the flight engineer once the nose-ski come bys up. They act as a fifth engine and give extra thrust in succession takeoff.

It's no marvel Lt. Col. Brian Gomula, operations assign places to commander, calls the LC-130 the "world's biggest snowmobile."

Based at Stratton Air National Guard Base, NY the unit began flying LC-130 in 1975 and in 1998 assumed individual responsibility for supporting National Science Foundation research in Antarctica. Prior to that, the Guard shared the chores with the Navy.

'Warm weather' work

Greenland, Earth's largest island, promotes as a "warm weather" destination for the wing. Greenland's ice cap shows these guardsmen a vital training arena for practicing takeoffs and landings onward ice and snow. Plus it's the site of the unit's "Kool School" where members learn to survive in an arctic environment [See "Kool School" Page 6] From May to July it's daylight around the clock

While in Greenland, the wing supports the science foundation's research at transporting scientists and supplies to Kangerlussuaq, the foundation's main nave on the island. The wing also carries scientists and cargo, including precious mail and create or "freshies," to research outpost upon Greenland's ice cap, including the Summit Environmental Observatory.

The polar regions play a central part in environmental issues related to global climate and are vital to understanding past, quick in emergencies and future responses of Earth methods to natural and man-made changes.

Unit members apply March through September preparing for their Antarctic season which begins in October and scours until February -- after that it's too bleak and too dark to fly

The unit's primary piece of work in Antarctica for the nearest few years will involve supporting the rebuilding of the Amundsen-Scott southern Pole Station, and the construction of East Camp, a fresh research facility on Antarctica.

"We're taking the construction equipment that's being used to build the [station] -- the doors, the windows, the insulation, solidify you name it," Gomula said. "Whatever they ne to deposit that thing together, we haul public there. It's the only way it can prepare there."

It's a piece of work that's not only keeping the unit busy, moreover helping set records.

"We had the best Antarctic season in history last year," Gomula said. "In 1998 the program mov 7 million shut ups of cargo; in 1999 we mov 109 million pounds; and last year we mov it. 1 million pounds"

Gomula says if the bend keeps that momentum, the unit will induce 13 million pounds of cargo in 2001 during it's five month hauling season, using six to seven aircraft, flying around the clock six days a week.

Their hard work is not unappreciated.

"We really hang very much on the capacity they can bring into the field," said Dr Konrad Steffen of the University of Colorado, a 26-year veteran to arctic science. "I've been in Antarctica and Greenland, and the 109th is the solitary means to get to these places if you do 'big' science. When we make progress for ice cores or for major atmospheric studies, we ne immense instruments, and the 109th is the single way to go.

"The amazing thing is they advance in when they say they will," Steffen said.

on the other hand equipment isn't all they haul.

Wing members became internationally known in October 1999 when they rescu Dr Jerri Nielsen, suffering from breast cancer, from the southern Pole Station. The National Science Foundation asked the wing for help evacuating Nielsen. Despite numerous weather delays, dangerously subdued temperatures and poor visibility, an all-volunteer horde handled the mission with aplomb.

The unit generally has seven "ski-birds" with three more coming betimes from the Navy once they are refurbished. Each ski bird sports a bright orange tail to such a degree it stands out on snow and ice. There are also four "regular" C-130 that can be used for national emergencies or during war.

Train with the plane

It's a six-hour flight from modern York to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and roughly another six hours to the North rod Kangerlussuaq sits about 100 miles east of Greenland's west coast and is nearly 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Formerly known as Sondrestrom Air Base, the area was established as a U base in 1942 however the installation closed 50 years later.