OUA 1964 - Page 2
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In
fact, by relative standards, it was quite small seldom numbering as many as
100 individuals or twenty operationally ready air combat crews. But this
small band were professionals to a man and turned in a king-sized job throughout. Their combined efforts, given gallantly,
sincerely and many times heroically, produced this squadron's remarkable record of
achievement. |
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b.
This squadron is charged with the responsibility of maintaining an aerial life line to the radar
sites of DEW Line East on the Interior Green- land Ice Cap. It is the primary mission of this unit to
provide supply sup- port to a critical link in the
Arctic Distant Early Warning System.
Without the dedicated air crews of this
unit and their ski-equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft, these listening outposts
of the free world would not long endure. Food and fuel, mail, movies, and
men are all supplied by air from Sondrestrom Air Base perched on the coastal
edge of the polar ice cap. The very
sites themselves - every stick, bolt,
rivet and transistor that went into their physical assembly were flown-in
by other C-130's some 5 ½ years ago.
Since 1958, every radar operator who
has manned their listening equipment has been delivered and taken home by the
same means. This unusual mission must
con- tinue until the nations of the
world can resolve their differences, making the need to constantly monitor each others moves non-existent. |
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c.
Landing the C-130 aircraft on open snow, while a calculated risk, is not an overly difficult feat in
itself, but unhappily, there are added con- ditions. Conditions which not only add, but
multiply, so that the margin for error is narrowed to the
vanishing point. Prime among these is
the horsepower loss at
altitude. Runway elevations of 9000
feet at the radar sites steal 850-950 horsepower
per engine. Thus, a good quarter of
the straining Hercules' available
power is lost. Neither are instrument
ap- proaches existent in the
environment. The navigator must rely
solely on his own skill and airborne radar
to obtain a safe approach for landing. Even with temperatures well
below freezing, the snow becomes sticky when the sun shines on it twenty hours a
day. Adhesion to the snow makes take
offs under Arctic summertime
conditions both difficult and dangerous.
Arctic whiteouts
are another hazardous phenomenon which come without warning. Driving gales, picking up loose
snow and powder-fine ice, can, in the space of minutes completely eliminate
all visibility. Aircraft commanders
don't even think about emergency
aids. The Dye Sites do not include
such opera- tional niceties as fire trucks
and ambulances in their equipment authoriza- tions. Blinding light of sun on snow, low ceilings, and blowing snow
with high gusty winds all contribute to the tension of the Ice Cap
Operation. |
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d.
Quite often as many as six or seven runs must be made to lift 120,000 pounds of aircraft off the
sticky Arctic snow. Waiting for just
the right gust of wind or the right amount
of packing by 6000 pounds of Teflon-coated skis requires no mean degree of
pilot skill and professional airmanship. The margin here is thin - two or
three knots of extra speed normally spells the difference between a
successful lift off and another attempt.
There are also other interesting aspects
to this far northern mission. The
aircrew members of this unit must
maintain a knowledge of world-wide navigation to successfully cope with the Abilene-Sondrestrom-Abilene
rotations. This in- cludes both overwater and Arctic grid capability. Some of the worst flying |
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