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With the help of Langfield on the old APN-59 and the on-board observer we taxied to the off-load area where we were greeted by some very happy station personnel. We also picked up the gentleman who could now go to see his ailing daughter. We then taxied back to the end of the runway with Langfield providing steering information. Now it was time for one more "calculated risk", an ITO (Instrument Take-Off) in zero-zero conditions. The ITO phase of the flight had its element of risk as well. The design characteristics of the aircraft and engine combination placed the aircraft in a "below minimum control" environment for a short period immediately after lift-off (in the event of loss of an outboard engine) until the aircraft accelerated to minimum control speed. Again, time to fish or cut bait. The ITO proceeded as briefed. As we broke through the overcast and flew toward Sondestrom AB the crew was quiet, reflecting on the events that had just transpired, and feeling fortunate that the little things that could have gone wrong didn't. Larkins asked Major Bruce Coffin, who had just experienced his first flight to the Ice Cap, what he thought of the Ice Cap mission? Coffin looked at Larkins and said, "Colonel, I can't even think about this until I get back to the base and change my underwear!"
It had become readily apparent to Jim Larkins that the difficult and challenging tasks that faced navigators operating in the Arctic region was not well publicized and that mission oriented navigators were not receiving appropriate recognition. Toward this end Jim Larkins originated The Larkins Upwind Award. The Larkins Upwind Award recognized Navigators who demonstrate an extremely high degree of professional airmanship in the performance of their duties during particularly difficult and demanding conditions in the Arctic region. The following week, after returning to Elmendorf AFB, Colonel Larkins presented THE LARKINS UPWIND AWARD to Major George Langfield. |
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