AMERICAN AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY

#ffiWffiffiffiMSUMMER 1977VOLUME 22, NUMBER 2

JOURNAL American A,viation Historical Society, Summer, 1977

SkihirdsonthercectlpBy lohn H. Cloe

On June 19,1975, a lone C-130D touched down at ElmendorfAir Force Base near Anchorage. Alaska. The return of 57-0490from Sondrestrom Air Base, Greenland, marked an end of an erafor the Elmendorf-based 17th Tactical Airllft Squadron whichhad, since 1961, deployed their C-130D skibirds across the ArcticBasin ir.r support of two DEW Line radar sites. DYE iI and DYEIII, on the Greenland Ice Cap.

The Firebirds had flown tireir iast Greenland Ice Cap supportmission. Eleven days later, on Juiy 1. the rnission rvas officiallytransferred to the Air National Guard's 109th Tactical AiriiftGroup, Schenectady County Airport, New York.

With the transfer, the group became the third Air Force unitto f1y support for the trvo DYE sites. and like their predecessorsthey were privileged to see one of the nlost incredible views onthe earth-the lonely and vast expanse of the Greenlatrd Ice Cap.They would also continue to l1y the only skiwheel C-130s in theAir Force inventory. the Lockheed C-130D Llercuies.

A C-13O oflloads suppli$ at one of the DYE sites-. The engines are keptrunning to prevent poxible maintenance problems if they are shut down inths subz€ro temperatures. (USAF Photo)

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The mission to support the two DYE sites and the C-130Dsvas the result of one cf the most monumental construction proj-)cts ever undertaken-the DEW Line, which was built across theiigh Arctic during the 1950s. Fonnally dedicated at Point Bar'ow, Alaska, on August 13, 1957, the DEW Line had been con':eived from a growing post-World War II concern that North\merica was no longer immune from long'range bomber attacks,rarticularly from over the Arctic Polar regions.

In 1952 the Lincoln Laboratory of the Massachusetts lnstituterf Technology sponsored a "special Summer Group" to considerways to guaid against such an attack. By the end of August thegroup submltted recommendations envisioning a line of radarttutiont across northern Alaska and Canada, connecting at both:nds with the Alaskan Air Command (AAC) and Northeast AirCommand (NEAC) radar networks. After debate and furtheritudy. the project was formally approved by President Eisen-hower on February 24, 1954; and actual construction began inearly 1955. Work was completed July l, 1957;and one monthlater, the line was declared operational.l

In 1956 the Joint Chiefs of Staff authr:rized two extensious tothe DEW Line. Plans for the Western extension cailed for sixauxiliary radar sites in the Aleutian Islands. In the east, fourauxiliary radar sites were to be buiit acrqss Greenland'2 Informa-tion, instructions and a directive to plan the Greenland extensionwere sent to NEAC by Headquarters USAF in May 1956' Aco[struction complerion date was set for "as eariy as possible in1960."3 Although NEAC, located at Pepperrell Air Base. St'Johns, Newfoundland, was scheduled lor inactivation in early1951 , it was still responsible for planning. siting' programming,and funding the Eastern extension-obviously as long as thecommand iontinued in existence.a The extension planned

A C-l30D offloads fuel at one of the DYE sites' {USAF Photo}

stretched eastward from the already established main radar site(DYE Main) at Cape Dyea, on the east of Baffin Island, acrossdreenland (bYE I, II, III, and IV) to DYE V on Iceland which inturn was linked with the North Atlantic Radar System' In April195?, NEAC was inactivated, and the Air Defense Command,later changed to Aerospace Defense Command (ADC), assumedresponsibility for the Eastern sector through the 64th Air Divi'sir:n at Pepperrell. Ultimately, ADC was made responsible for theentire DEW Line.5

During the f,trst half of 1957, Project Look See was carried outin two phases by the 64th Air Division to select the radar sites inCreenland. Phase One (August 8 through November 2) was acoastal survey by ship to select two coastal sites; Phase Two was

an approximately six'hour C-54 aerial survey' flown September25, over the southern half of the Ice Cap. Two potential sites inareas free of crevasses and serious snow melting were identified'Both locations afforded good radar and radio coverage' Since theareas had been used by several scienti{ic expeditions, informationon their characteristics were also available. The location of siteone was approximately i00 miles due east of Sondrestrom AirBase, which was iocated at the head of Sondre Stromfitlrd, Green-land's second longest fiord some 33 miles above the Arctic Circle'Site two was 100 milei beyond site one and slightly south'6 Thefollowing spring, a ground reconnaissance party made the finalselectioni. Among its members was Coionel Bernt Balchen, thefamed fuctic and Antarctic explorer, who had helped select thelocation for Sondrestrom AB and later played a leading role in itsconstruction. Later. as its commander during World War II, hehad ied several difficult rescue operations on the Ice Cap'?

The final sits selections from west to east were; DYE I' near

Qayatagag on the west coast; DYE II, approximateiy 100 miles

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JOURNAL American Aviation Historical Society, Summer, 1977

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The beginning o{ the Greanland lce Cap. (Author's Photo}

east of Sondrestrom and 90 miles south of the Arctic Circle at analtitude of 7,600 feet; DYE III, approximately i00 miles east ofDYE II and siightly south at 8,600 feet; and DYE IV, nearKulusuk on the East Coast. The four auxiliary radar sites took theDYE designation from the main radar site, DYE Main, at CapeDyea.8

The sites chosen for DYE II and DYE III were on one ofearth's most barren regions-the frozen desert-like waste of theGreeniand Ice Cap, Its seemingly limitless expanse covered anarea of 650,000 square miles, and was only exceeded in size anddesolation by the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The average thickness ofthe ice was 4,800 feet, and in places, reached i0,000 feet. Thegreat rnass of ice formed during the Tertiary period, pressed downon a bowl-shaped island which once enjoyed a climate similar tothe present-day Mediterranean area.

Only aiong portions of the northeast and northwest did the icereach to the sea. The remainder of the sheet was blocked by thecoastal mountain barrier. The growth of the Ice Cap had reacheda static stage where the annual accumulation of snow matchedthe depletion due to giacial flow, surface melting and evapora-tion. While the inland ice was flat, stable and fairly safe to move

on, the 7S-mile-wide outer rim, called the marginal zone, washeavily crevassed, unstable and dangerous. lt was a difficult.treacherous piace to cross by surface means.

Up until the nineteenth century, the lce Cap was avoided. TheEskimos who settled Greenland from nearby Ellesmere Islandfeared the ice and ventured onto it only when they had to. TheNorsemen who came 1ater, under the leadership of Erik the Red,also shunned the place. During the last half of the nineteenthcentury, however, there was an awakening of interest in giaciolo-gy, and expeditions began to explore the Ice Cap. In i888 theNorwegian explorer Fridtof Nansen, with a party of five, aftersome effort, succeeded in crossing its loneiy expanse in the vicin-ity of the present-day DYE sites. Since then, exploration hascontinued and expeditions have become fairly common.e

Like the earlier explorers, the planners of DYE II and III hadto soive the problems of transporting their corstruction materialsacross the marginal zone; and once on the inland ice, building a

place where men could comfortably live and work, protectedfrom the harsh eiements. Since the two sites were to be perma-nent, resupply on a sustained and regular basis was an importantconsideratic'rn. With the exception of areas near Thuie on thenorthwest coast, the marginal zone had blocked all but the mostdetermined efforts to cross it by surlace means. Even in the Thuiearea, special roadways had to be constructed with some dif{i-culty, and tracked vehicles had to be used to gain access to theinland ice.lo

In 1958 the Army Operation King Dog was carried out toblaze a surface route from Sondrestrom through the marginatrzone and onto the iniand ice. With great difficulty, the part)-nranaged to cross the ntarginai zone and move 76 miles onto theIce Cap before turning back.ll

The obvious answer to the transportation problem was airlifi-Aircraft had landed and taken off from the lce Cap under emer'gency conditions during World War ll. ln 1947 the first deliberaelandings and takeoffs were made with a ski-equipped C47 duringProject Snowman, an Air Force effort to determine feasibility ofoperating aircraft on the Ice Cap.12 During i957 and early I958.the Air Force conducted extensive testing of a ski-wheel config-ured C-l30A (Air Force S/N 55-0021) rvhich could be operatedfrom both conventional runways and snow or ice-covered sur-faces.13 The tests proved the Lockheed manufactured aircraft

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C-13OO in flight. Note the skis in th6 raised position- (USAF Photo)

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couid successfully do what had already been done by the C-47and the C-123J. During 1958, 12 C-130As (57'A484 tirrough57-0495) were converted to ski'wheel equipped C-130Ds at Lock-heed's Marletta, Georgia plant, and were accepted by the AirForce on the following dates:14

C-130D ACCEPTANCE

AIRCRAFTNUMBER DATE

57-0484 13 Aug 195857'0495 19 Aug 195857-0486 15 Aug 195857-0487 20 Aug 195857-0488 4 SeP 195857-0489 12 Sep 1958

AIRCAAFTNUMBER DATE57-0490 23 Aug 195857-0491 3 Sep 195857"A492 10 Aus 195857-0493 Unknown57-0494 11 Oct 195857-0495 Unknown

They were, and stili are, the largest aircraft to be equippedwith skis. The Ds were the only ski-wireel equipped C-l30s builtlor the Air Force. The modi{ication invoived installation of a

nose and two rnain skis lttted around the conventional landinggear. The nose ski measured 10 feet long and 5 feet 6 inches wide'the main skis were 20 feer- long by 5 feet 6 inches wide ' Theyhad an 8' nose-up and 15' nose'down pitch to enable them tofo11ow uneven tuifuc.t. The undersides were coated with teflonto reduce surface friction and resist adhesiveness to ice and snow'The installation increased the aircraft weight by approximately5,500 pounds.ls Airspeed was reduced by about 20 knots' Theski insiallations and iheir associated hydraulic systems causedsome unique nraintenance problenTs. One problem caused normaltime to .hung. a tire to be increased from 45 minutes to 10

hours.16 Because of the long distances tire aircralt were expectedto fly. two 450-gallon underwing pylon fuei tank were installed'and provisions were made for two 500'ga11on cargo compartnenttank;.r? l,ater, in 1966, two 4S0-gailon tanks 'uvere installed inthe inboard wing drY-baY atea.18

While the Air Force was developing the C-130D' the ArmyCorps of Engineers was pianning and designing the two Ice Capsites. Since they were tr: be permanent structures, new designsand techniques had to be developed to overcoire rhe geologicaiand environmental problems ol the Ice Cap il the sites were toremain in operation for any length of time. The Air Force hadhad some experience with a permanent facility on the Ice Cap' In

1953 two radar sites, N-33 and N'34, were constructed nearThule AB to extend the base's radar capability- The structureswere tubular-type and were below the surface of the ice. Theywere resupplied by ski-equipped C-47s. However, the two siteswere constantly plagued with problems. The heat from the build'ings caused the surrounding ice to melt; the drinking waterassumed the taste and smell of diesel fuel; and tlie high elevationadversely aflected power production. Finally the sites, which hadbeen compared to submarines floating in the ice, deteriorated to apoint where they had to be abandoned in 1957'le

The probiems of N-33 and N-34 were considered in the con-struction of the two Ice Cap DYE sites. The selected location forthe two DYE sites was in an area of relativeiy high precipitationwhere snow accumulated three to four feet annually. In addition,the snow conslantly drifted piling up against anything in its path.Other factors considered by the engineers were the violent winds,an lce Cap phenornenon which often reached 100 miles per hour,and the subzero temperatures. Temperatures of 40'F were con-sidered normal during the winter months. Because the mission ofthe DYE sites demanded that the radar and radio antennas be freelrom obstructions and interference, the traditional below surfaceconstruction was ruled out. The Army's Cold Region Researchand Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) ran a series of wind tunneltests to determine the best type structure to overcome the diffi-culties while still providing the. best radar and radio coverage.

The tests proved that, if the structure was elevated ?0 feetabove the surface, the drifting snow would pass underneath, andthe iittle snow that did accurnulate could easily be removed by a

bulidozer. The problem of accumuiating snow was overcome byinstalling two 350-ton jacks in each of the eight columns support-ing the structure, or composite building, as it was called. In thismanner, the composite building could periodically be lifted tomaintain the proper 20-foot distance and adjustments made tocornpensate for the movement of the ice. The eight supportingcolumns rested on a raft-like grill originally buried some 30 feetbelow the surface. Interconnecting steel trusses below the surfaceconnected the columns to prevent lateral movernent of the struc'ture caused by tiigh winds.

The composite building, which measured 133 feet wide by 144feet long, consisted of two stories and a mezzanine. Perched ontop was a two-story radar tower and dome. Within the building

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JOURNAL American Aviation Historical Society, Summer. 1977

\r*re electronic equipment, shops, offices, a power room, al-reating facility. a snow nrelter lor water. living, dining. andrecreational faciiitles for 24 nren. Outside were sled-mounterisurvival and vehicle storage buildings. Sewage was purnped into asanitary lvel1 sorne 500 feet lrom the sites. Heat retained in thesewage created a chamber under tl.re ice which extended down-ward ivith continued use. Four 100,000-ga11on. under-ice tankswere located near each site to store the approximately 350,000galions of arctic diesei fuel needed annually to run the six dieselengines used to provide electric power and heat.2o Having solvedthe problerns of tlansportation and construction, the Air Forceand the Corps t':l Engineers lvere read.v to proceed witir the job olbuilding the trvo si1es.

On Marcli 19. 1958, the U.S.-Dairish agreernent authorizingconstruction o1' the Greenland sites rvas signed.2t That sarne yearthe Corps of Ergineers ailarded contracts lbr the procurement ofrnaterials and equipnient. In the case of the two coastal sites,whose construction was sirnilar to the other DEW Line sites. thematerlals conformed to rhe standards used throughout the DEWsysten.I. l{owever. r,vith the Ice Cap sites, it rvas a different story.No single irem cor-ild exceed 9x9x4 I feet in size or rveigh morethan 15 tons-the lirnitation of the C-i30D.22

In February 1959. the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at SewarrAFB, Tennessee. was tormaliy assigned the mission of airliftingconstrllction ntaterials and equipnent to the two sites. The Wing.in turn. tasked one ol its subordinate sqrladrons, the 61st TroopCarrier Squadron (61 TCS) to do the job. The squadron hadalready participated ou a limited scale in some of the earlierGreenland site survey missions and had begun receiving itsC-130Ds during the last hall of 1958. Prior ro deploying to Son-drestrom to begin rhe airlift. the TCS was sent to Bernidji. innorthern Minnesota. for l-ii,e rveeks ol training r-rn the nearbyfroz.ei-r lake ol the sarne name. Tl'rere. they learned how to operateand nlaintain tirelr nerv aircrati. Three aircraft were deployed toBernidji and based at the locai civilian airport. Each aircrerv rvassent to Bemidji for one week, during whlch they received a check-out in the C-1-30D. and attended a 24-hour survival school as partol iheir arctic ir)dtlctrination.

On lllarch 19, tlie squadlon began its moveluent tn Sondre-strom. By April 1, the official slart dare. live aircraft rvere inpiace to begin the airliti. aithough the first operatir-rnal mission

had already been flown in l{arch, when a C-l30Dlanded near thesite of DYE IL By May 2, all1l.2 aircraft had arrived,

During the first two rveeks in April, three aircraft were dis-abled in rapid succession by accidents on the lce Cap. Flightprocedures were changed, and a 6,000 by 200-foot landing stripwas cleared at each site. After that. the airlift operations wentsmoothly.z3 lhe crews tlew their C-i30Ds on an almost ceaselessschedule, having as many as l0 of the 12 airuaft airborne at atime. Flight operations usually began at 0400, and continuedthrough the long hours of daylight. By the end ol six months,approximately 127,985 tons of cargo had been hauled to thesites. Because of the approaching winter, ope rations were halted.The partially compieted sites were ciosed for the season and leltto the eiernents.2a

When the squadron returned to Sewart AFB, Tennessee. in latei959, it was directed to furnishsupport to the U.S. Navy's scien-tific project Deep Freeze 60 in the Antarctic on the opposite sideol the worid frorr Greenland. Since the 61 TCS and its aircraftwouid not be needed on the Greenland lce Cap untii March 1960,and tlie Navy needed immediate heip to rransport constructionmaterial to t\vo of its scientific sites, the squadron was directedby Headquarters USAF to support the effort. Ten aircrews andseven C-130Ds were selected. After a period of training at Bemidjiduring December 7 through 11, 1960, in preparation for projectIce Flow, the name of the Antarctic support missioil, the squad-ron, on January 7, began the 13,850-rnile deployment across thePaciflc Ocean to Christchurch, New Zealand. Ten days later, ai1seven C-130Ds and one support C-i30A arrived. Alter a brief rest,the C-130Ds began the last ieg of their flight to McMurdo Sound,leaving New Zealand in one-hour intervals on January 14. How-ever, strong head winds forced their return, and it rvas not untilJanuary 23 that the squadron {rna11y reached their destination.

Despite some initial coordination proirlems, marginal weatherand inadequate ground navigational aids. between January 23 andFebruary 15, the seven C-130Ds airlilted an impressive 400 tonsof cargo from Mcl{urdo to two research stations, Marie Byrd andAmundsen-Scott, the latter located at the Soutli Po1e.26 Lieuten-ant Colonel Wilbert Turk, Squadron Commander in charge of thesquadron operations, llew the irrst rnission into Amundsen-Scottin C-130D, 57-0495, nlcknanted "Frozen Assets." On board was

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Rear Admiral David M. Tyree, Commander, U'S' Naval SupportForces for Antarctica.26 They carrled with them the AmericanFlag which had accompanied Admiral Richard Byrd on his histor-ic frigfrt over the North and South Poles. (Aircraft 57'0495 was

later "damaged beyond repair when it crashed near DYE III on

Jurre 5. l.glZ. tt rvas the only C-130D of the origi*al 12 to be iostto date.)

fle il-t:OO operations proved to the Nary beyond dr:ubt thattime and money could be saved by using the large ski-wheelequipped aircraft. At the time the C-130Ds rvere in the Antarctic'tf," i-{uuy had an order for four C'1308s to be modified to ski-wheel Lb-l30Fs. These aircraf( had greater range and lilt capacityand a redesigned ski'wheel assembly.

Up until that time, the Navy, who had pioneered the use ofski-wiee1 air transports, had used the ski-wheel C-47, which theyhad introduced in the Antarctic during Operation High Jump' in1946-41 .ln preparing for Operation High Jurnp, the Navy decid-ed to use sir ski-equipped C-47s for exploratory flights fromLitrle A.-rerica. Because ther. tuus doubt about their range, plans

rvere made to launch the aircralt from the carrier "PhilippineSea" at the edge of the ice pack' Since rvheels were required forlire launch and-planning time was limited, the problem was soived

by the simple expedienl of cutting slots il the skis through which:i.,r.s in.1,ei of tire wheels protruded. After the aircraft arrived at

tl'reir destitration, the wheels were removed' Later, the system was

,.rin.a, giving tl-re pilot the option of either skis or wheeis'2?

In mid-Febrrrary 1960. the 61 TCS returned to Sewart AFBendonMarch20tlr,theydepartedtobegirrthesecondconstruc.iion season on the {ce Cap. After digging out the constructioncamp and the materials and equipment, work was begun on the

inteiiors of the two sites, and numerous design changes weremade- By late fall, tlie electrical and mechanical equipment had

been instalied. By December. the project was completed and

piu,* *.r. made ftr the lurnover of the sites to ADC'28 This was

rlone officially on August 1, the following year, wiren the sites

became operational'2e During the second season, the squadronairlilted approximately I 15,000 tons of cargo'30

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ing U.i. Nary's Deep Freeze 60' (Lockheed'Georgia Photo)

THE OLD AND THE NEW-In the background is one of the C-130Ds fromthe 61st Troop carrier squadron which supported the Navy during Deep

Freeze 60. {Lockheed'Georgia Photo}

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JOURNAL American Aviation Historical Society, Summer, 1g77

When the 6l TCS returned to Sewart AFB in late 1960, theirassociation with Greenland was drawing to a close. On October l,the 17th Troop Carrier Squadron (17TCS) had been activated atDyess AFB, Texas, and began tire process of organizing, whichthey achieved on February 8, 1961. Part ofthe new squadron'smission was the support of the two DYE sites. It inherited the 12C-13ODs from the 61 TCS, which converted to C-i308s.32 Six ofthe Ds {57-A484 through 0489), no longer needed because ofreduced requirements! were reconverted back during 1962 and1963 to a wheels-only configuration with a model designation ofC-130D-6.32 On May i, 1961 , the i ? TCS assumed responsibilityfor the ongoing Greenland mission. The aircraft at Sondrestromwere transferred in place. Prior to that date, the 17 TCS hadflown only two hours on the Ice Cap. By the end of themonth,tlrey accumulated an additionai 143 hours and had, on May 29,evacuated a Danish National suffering from a brain concussionfrom Soridrestrom to Copenhagen. The emergency evacuationwas to be the flrst of many search and rescue and emergencyevacuation rnissions performed by the 17 TCS, as part of theiroverall Greenland mission. During June. the squadron flewanother 372 hours in rupport of the preparations for getting thesite operational by August. Every effort was made to qualifyitresquadron personnel in ski operations. The techniques the 61 TCShad developed were refined by the 17 TCS.33

As with the 61 TCS, the recently activated squadron learnedthat flying the C-i30D on the Ice Cap required special skills andtechniques. At the high aititudes where the sites were located, theC-l30D's engine performance was reduced by 35 percent. Liftaiso suffered at the higher eievations. Although ski landings wereessentially the same as conventional iandings. taxiing and takeoflswere a different matter. Skill was required to keep the aircraftlined up and from siiding sideways. Since the friction of the skiswas considerably more than wheels, takeoffs were sometimesdifficult, especiaily on warm sunny days when the surface wassoft. Consequently, provisions were made for the installation offour assisted takeoff (ATO) bottles on each side of the aircraft,These were often used to literally blast the aircrafr off the ice.F

The squadron leamed to handle the various challenges of Ice

Cap flying and quickly settled down into a routine. Two "rota-tor" C-l30Ds were maintained at Sondrestron on a year-roundbasis to fly back and forth. During the spring, the number wasincreased to around four to handle the annuai fuel airlift. Whenenough snow had accumulated at the sites to warrant their beingelevated to keep the ?0-loot distance above the surface, addition-al aircraft were also deployed by the squadron 1o airlift the neces-sary construction materials.

The contracted civilian personnel who manned the two siteswere completely dependent on the C-l30Ds at Sondrestrom fortheir supplies and physical contact with lhe world outside. Whenthey looked or-rt the windows, they saw only a vast expanse ofwhite which stretched endlessly into the horizon. They seldomwent outside other than to perform the required outdoor chores,and when their contracts expired, many left without having ven-tured more tiran 100 yards lrom the sites. Inside the sites were a1l

the modern comforts needed to sustain them. Working and iivingin the sites was very much like being aboard a large ship at sea.3s

In late 1963, the 17 TCS learned they were to be transferredto Alaska. During December 1963 and January 1964, the pianswere completed for the assignment of the 17 TCS from the Tacti-cal Air Conrmand (TAC) to the Alaskan Air Command (AAC).The official announcement was made January 21. Movementorders were published February 4, and the advance party arrivedat Elmendorf AFB in Aprii, followed by the main group in June.The rear party reached Alaska July 15. On May 1, the transfer ofaircraft was begun and continued until August 7, when the lasttwo of the 12 aircraft arrived. The squadror was relieved lromassignment to TAC and assigned to AAC on June 15. By the endof the month, AAC assumed responsibility for the ongoing Green-land mission. The final shift at Sordrestrom was rnade whenpersonnel and equipment still assigned to the 516th TacticalAiriift Wing, the former parent organization of the 17 TCS, wererelieved and returned to Dyess AFB. Squadron personnel andaircraft at Sondrestrom remained in place.

The squadron quickly settled down to their operations in A.las-ka, which were flying supplies and equipment to AAC's remotesites and stations and participating in joint training exercises with

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United States Army forces in Alaska. The squadron's C-130s alsoprovided a much greater airlift and range capability than theC-123s AAC depended on prior to the squadron's arrival.

The Greenland mission, norv firmly established, continued tobe flown on a regular basis. Each Tuesday morning. a C-130Ddeparted Elmendorf tor the iong flight across the Arctic Basin toSondrestrorn, where it relieved another C-130D. Two routes wereused. One roule,2,22l nautical miles iong, was by rvay of Yel-lowknife, in Canada's Northwest Territory; the other, 2,510nautical miles, was direct to Thule AB, Creenland, then south toSondrestrom. When rhe winds were favorabie, the refueling stopswere avoided. and the flight was made direct.

During the Aprii-June period each year, the two "rotator"aircraft were augmented with additional personnei and aircraft toairlift fuel stored at Sondrestrom to the two sites. There, the fuelwas used to run the diesel engines powering the sites. The annualspring refueiing began the preceding summer when the fuel wasbrought by ship to Camp Loyd, near Sondrestrom. During thewinter months, the fuel was allowed to "cool" so that when itwas transferred to the under-ice storage tanks at the sites, itwould not melt the surrounding ice.3? Initially, the fuel was air-lifted in 500-ga11on coliapsible bladders strapped to cargo pallets.The pallets constituted a load of about 3,000 galions. At the sites,the pallets were dragged from the aircraft to a storage area wherethey were emptied into the under-ice storage tanks.38 The emptybladders were back-hauled in the returning C-130Ds' This proce-dure proved to be time-consurning and posed niany problems,particularly during ofiloading. During the 1961 refueling season,the bladders were replaced by KC-97 rel'ueling tanks strapped tothe aircraft's cargo bed. The fuei then could be emptied direct, bygravity, fiom the aircraft into the storage tanks.3e

Before they switched to KC-97 fuel tanks' the Air Force used 500'gallonbladders to deliver diesel fuel to the sites' The bladders were strapped topallets which were oflloaded at the sites-a time-consuming job' (USAFPhotoi

On July 8, 1966, the 17 TCS uriderwent another change inassignment when it became one of three flying squadrons (17TCS, 3l7th Fighter lnterceptor Squadron, and 2lst OperativeSquadron) assigned to the 21st Composite Wing r:n the wing'sactivation at Eirnendorf.4 The Greenland mission. then knownas On Top and later changed to Cool DEW, was part of the trans-fer from AAC to the 21 COMPW.41 The following year, Septem-ber 1, the 17 TCS was redesignated the 17th Tactical AirliftSquadron (17 TAS).42

JOURI\lAL American Aviation Historical Society, Summer, 1977

END OF THE LINE-A 17th Tactical Airli{t Squadron loadmaster and twoDYE site personnel unload fuel from a C-130 Hercules' The fuel is drainedfrom tanks strappsd to the cargo bed of the aircraft into storage tanksburi€d beneath the ice. Assisted takeoff {ATOI bottles are attached to theaircraft iust forward of the door' (USAF PhotoI

During 1966-67 , the 17 TAS was involved, in addition to thenormal resupply and fuei airlift, in supporting USAF's Office ofAerospace Research Project Blue Ice, a seismological study' Thelce Cap was chosen for the study since it was one of the quietestareas on the earth. The squadron airlifted the scientists and theirequiprnent during June 1966 to a site located approximately atthe center of the lce Cap. This site was named after the Danishseismologist, Inge khrnann. Because resuits fronl the study wereso good, a decision was made to keep Inge Lehmann open duringthe winter, and a small party remained behind. The followingspring, the main party returned, after waiking 400 miles fromCamp Century. Enroute, they had stopped to take measurementsalong the route. When they reached Inge lehmann, they decidedto close that site.a3

Blue Ice was one example of the 17 TAS and its predecessor's,the 61 TCS's, support of scientific ef'forts on the Ice Cap. ht1959, CRREL scientists had been airlifted to the inland ice toinstail benchmark systems and instrumentation for monitoringthe tong-term performance ol the DYE sites. Support was tur'nished CRREL in 1960, 1963,1969,1971,1972 and 1973.e In1954 support was provided to the French Glaciological Project, a

private research foundation project to study the growth and flowof the Greenland Ice Cap.as ln 1971 the Greenland lce SheetProgram (CISP) was begutr to driii ice cr:re samples in order todetermine past climatic changes. It involved CRREL' as weli as

scientists from universities in America and Europe. Core samplesof ice formed lrom snow which fel1 during the time of Christrvere airlifted out by the squadron.ft

Search and Rescue (SAR) and emergency evacuation missionspiayed a signiticant role in the 6i TCS and 17 TAS supportefforts in Greenland. Because of the C-130D capabilities, thesquadron was often called on to search for and pick up crash vic'tims on the lce Cap and fly long-range rnissions to evacuate thecritically ill or injured. A typical SAR mission occurred in August1967, when word was received that a British-owned' twinenginelighi aircraft was overdue. The aircraft commander of a C-130Din the vicinity of DYE III was contacted' Using the last informa-tion of radar cottact obtained fiom the site, the aircrew begantheir search. Fortunateiy, 30 minutes later the dorvlled aircraftwas sited. Atr open snow landing was made and two survivorswere picked up. A third man could not be tbund. While anotherC-130 orbited overhead, the rescue aircraft. with the assistance ofATO, was able to take olf and return to Sondrestrom' 7

On July 1,1974, a one-year test program was initiated to see ilcivilian contracted Twin Otters, smal1 twin-turboprop enginetransports built by Dellavilland of Canada, could handle the rou-tine resuppiy requirernents. The two "rotator" C-l30Dt werereduced to one for providing backup support and SAR capability.later, in February 1975, the requirement was elindnated alto-gether.a8 The lTth's association with the Ice Cap was drawing toa c1ose. in1.974, AAC was notilled that the squadron was to beequipped with C-1308s, and that it was to give up its older air-craft, inciuding the tive C-130Ds to Air Force and Air NationaiGuard units. Tlre squadron returned for the last time to Sondre-strom on April 2, 1975, to begin the annual fuel airlift. This time.personnel from the 109th Tactical Airlift Group (109 TAG), NewYork Air National Guard, were there to assist and train with thesquadron. The group rvas scheduied to take over the C'130Ds andthe Greenland mission.ae By Ir{ay 13. the alrlift had been com-pleted. with 665,000 gallons ol fuei airlifte d in 208 sorties. OneC-l30D was retained at Sondrestrom to support GISP require-ments: on June 13, the i7 TAS flew its last mission and shortlyafterwards, returned to Elrnendorf, ending an era in the squad-ron's history. The five C-130Ds ald six C-130D-6s were tralls-ferred to the 109 TAG during June and July.s0

A C-130D makes a practice ATO assisted takeoff from the SondrestromAB runway, The Fractice is to familiarize pilots who sometimes have to usethe system to literally blast themselves off the lce Cap. {Aurhor's Photo}

150

TAILNUMBER57-0492D57-0493 D57-0485 D.657-0491 D57{494 D57.0489 D-6

TRANSFERDATE

TRANSFERBED2 June6 June19 June20 June21 June30 June

DATES5ITAIL

NUMBER57"0486 D-657-0488 D-657-0484 D-657-0490 D57-0487 D.6

DATETRANSFERRED

7 JulY14 JulY18 JulY21 JulY31 JulY

The transfer of responsibility marked an end of an era for theAlaska-based airlift squadron and a beginning of a new responsibility for the 109 TAG. The C'130Ds rvhich have served so faith-fully would still be flown over the Ice Cap, although on a some'what reduced basis; the two sites would continue to function as

they have since they iirst became operational, providing earlywarning against unfriendly aircraft and advisory service to friend-ly aircraft. The DEW Line has underSone changes since construc-tion began 20 years ago. Only 31 of the original 75 sites remain.New technology and revised missions have had their effects.Whatever the future, the DEW Line, in general) and the twoGreenland Ice Cap sites, in particular, represent one of man'ssuccessful endeavon to overcome the great difficulties of one ofearth's most inhospitable areas.

REFERENCES

1. ADC Historical study No.31, "A History ol the DEW Line. 1946-64"{ADC History Office. June 1965}' pp 55'56.

2. Alfred Goldberg, "History ol USAF. 1907"1957" {New Jercev, 1957},pp 133-35.Hist, NEAC, Jul'Dec 56, PP 87'89'Hist,64AD, 1 Apr'31 Dec 57, pp 111-128."A Hist ol the DEW Line," oP cit.. P 35.Hist 64AD, oP cit., PP 123'25.Ted R. Sturm. "Mission DEW East," Airman, Jul 1974. 3'6'Pamphlet, The DEI'Y System, Federal Electric Corporation, undated'Borge Fristrup, "The Greenland lce Cap" (Seattle, 1966I. pp 13.31-41,295-297lbid. pp 140'41.steven J. Mock, "Greenland Operations of the 17 TAS and CRREL"(CRREL, March 1973), PP 2-3.Emil G. Beaudry, Air Potentialities of the Greenland lce Cap in HighAltitude Defense (Air Command and Stalf School). p ii'Martin Caidin, "Mighty Hercules" (New York. 1963)' pp 161'Aircraft Historical Records (as ol 30 Jun 751, l\ircraft Maint Div, 21COMPW."Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1966-67" {New York, t9661' p 275'E. "Marty" Martinez, "Aerial Snowmobiles," Airman, November1969."Jane's AII the World's Aircraft, 1966-67," op cit.Hist, 1? TAS, 1 Jul-31 Dec 66, P 6.Eldon B. Severson, Special Monogreph on N'33 and N-34, Oetach-ments 1 and 2 of the 931st AC and W Squadron, 64AD (contained inHist, 64AD, Jan'Jun 19541.Harold B. Goyette, "Dew Line Canada'lcaland Link," The MilitaryEngineer. pp325-24."A History of the DEW Line, 1946'64." op cit., pp 55-56'"DEW Line Canada-lceland Link," op eit.Hist, 61 TCS, 1 Jan'3O Jun 59. PP 6'1 1."Mighty Hercules," op cit., pp 162'63'Hist.61 TCS. 1 Jan-3O Jun 60, pp 6-14'Martin Caiden, "The Long Arm of America" {New York 1963}, pp329-338.Henry Dater, "Dakota's in the Antarctic, A Study in Versatility"{History and Research Division, U'S. Navy Support Forces, Antarctic,Washington, D.C., S€ptember 191Ol., pp 'l'14.DEW Line Canada lceland Link, op cit.ADC V-24 RePort 1971. P 34."Mighty Hercules." op cit., pp 162-63-Ltr, Cmdr 516 TCW, subl; Recommendation lor the Air Force Out-standing Unit Award (17 TCS), June 64.Hist, 314 TCS, 1 Jan'30 Jun 66, P 32.Hist, 64 TCW, 1 Jan-30 Jun 61, PP 15'16."Aerial Snowmobiles," oP cit."The Greenland lce Cap," op cit., p 189'

!L&r:;u_$.t{8.tgrtt

The sheer cliff at Sondrestrom AB serves as a backdrop for a C-'130D flownby the 'l7th Tactical Airlift Squadron as it prepares to taks off for theGreenland lce Cap. (USAF Photo)

This is an interior view of diesel fuel offloading operations at one of theDYEsites.CaptainDelray"Lucky"schultz.alTthTacticalAirliftSquad-ron navigator. is resting his hand on one of the tanks us€d to transport thediesel fuel. {USAF Photol

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21.22.23.24.25.26.

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28.29.30.31.

32.33.34.35.

JOUBNAT American Aviation Hir

The C-130Ds wer€ used for other operations. The one shown here on afrozen lake in Alaska supported the joint training exercise Polar Strike in1964. (USAF Photol

35. Hist, AAC 1964, pp 183-i91.37. "Aerial Snowmobiles," op cit.; Art, "Faithfully Ferry Fuel,,, Sondre-

strom Sun, May 13, 1966, p 9.38. Recommendation for the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (17

TCSI. Jun 64, op cit.39. Hist. AAC, 1 Jul-31 Dec 67.40. SO, c-93, AAC,9 Jun 66.41. Hist, 21 COMPW, 1 Jan-3O Jun 67, p 3.42. SO, G-I15, AAC, 9 Auq67.43. Art, "Earth ls Too Noisy," Air Force Times, Dec 27,67.44. "Greenland OperatiorE of rhe 17 TAS and CRREL,', op cit., p E.45. Art. "'l7th Marks Year," Sourdough Sentinel. April 1, 66.46. "Greenland Operations of the 17 TAS and CRREL,,'op cir., p 7; Arr,"Airlift Squadron Delivers Scientists to lce Cap,', Sourdough Sentinel,

Jul 27 ,73.47. Hist, 17 TAS, 1 Jut-31 Dec 67, pp 6-2.48. Hist. 21 COMPW, 1 Jul-Sep 74, p 38.49. A,rt, "17th Makes Last Spring Fuel Airlift to Greenland lce Cap,,,

Sourdough Sentinel, Apr 25, 1975.50. Hist, 21 COMPW, Apr-Jun 75. p 94.51. Hist, AAC, FY 75, p 94-96; Hisr, AAC. Jut-Dec 75, p 42.

BIBLIOGRAPHYThe following is a list of sources used in the research of this article,

They contain not only information about the C.130D and the Greenlandlee Cap, but also information about Arctic aviation in general. Most of thesources can be found in the public library. The asterisks denote informa-tion that is available at the Albert F. Simpson Historical Research Center,Maxwell AFB, Alabama 36112, which is the official historical documenta-tion depository for the Air Force. The archives are available for bothprivate and official research.

MAJOR AIR FOBCE COMMAND HISTORIES*Al\C, Jul-Dec 1957. (Aecounts ol DEW Line dedication at pt Barrow,AK.}AAC. Jan-Dec 1964. {Transfer of l7TAS from TAC to AAC.}AAC, Jan-Jun 1966. {Acrivation of 2lCOMPW.}NEAC, Jul-Dec 1956. (Plans for DEW Line eastern extension,)

OTHER AIR FOBCE COMMAND HISTOBIES*Air Force Test Center, Jul-Dec 1958. {Ski-wheel performance test ofc-130A.1Atlantic Div. Air Transport Command. Jan-May 1948. (Contains intel-ligence summary ol Project Snowman, the purpose of which was tocollect data on the Greenland lce Cap for the possibility of constructingand maintaining a landing field there.)64AD. Jan-Jun 1954. (Contains "Special Monograph in N-33, N-34,Dets 1 and 2 o{ 93't AC&W Sq. 64AD," prepared by Capt Eldon Sever-son, USAF. Account of two AC&W sites on the lce Cap near Thule.)64AD, Apr-Dec 1957. (Report on aerial reconnaissance of proposedDEW Line sites in Greenland, Also data gathered from previous lce Cap6xplorations and information provided by quali{ied geophysicistsspecializing in glacial studies, easrern €xtension of DEW Line.)

WING HISTORIES"ZICOMPW, I Jut.Deo 66, Jan-Jun 67, Jul-Sep 69, Apr-Jun 7O. Jut-Sep70, Apr-Jun 71, Jan-Mar 72, Apr-Jun 72, Oct-Dec 73, Apr-Jun 74, Ju,.Sep 74, Oct-Dec 74, Jan-Mar 75, and Apr-Jun 75.The 21COMPW Histories and the attached 17TAS Histories furnishinformation about support o, the two lce Cap DYE sites. A short his-tory ot the DYE site support is included in the ZICOMpW Apr-Jun 74History.314TCW, Jul-Dec 58, Jan-Jun 59, Jut-Dec 59, Jan.Jun 60, and Jan-Jun61.The 3'l4TCW Histories and the artached 61TCS Histories provide infor-mation about the C-lsOD aircraft support for the construction of DyEsites, and support of Deep Freeze 60 in the Antaretic,516TCW, Jan-Jun 64. (Transfer of 17TAS to AAC.I

USAF MONOGRAPHS AND STUDIES*Beaudry, Emil G., "Air potentialities of the Greenland lce Cap in High

Latitude Defense," Nov 1949. (General information on the use of thelce Cap for strategic defense.)

8lair, MSgt Edison, USAF, "Arctic Adventure," May 19S2. {An account oIthe first C.47 landing at the North Pole.)

Bush, Lt Col Joseph. USAF. "Strategic lmportance of Greenland to ArmyAir Forces," May 1947. {An Air Command and Staff School Study.Contains general information on the importaoce of Greenland to airoperations. )

Hahn, Dr. Cecil O., "The Strategic lmportance of Greenland," Jan 47 (AirUniversity research prolect,)

"Aircraft Landing Test on Sea lce in North Star Bay, Thule, Greenland,March 1957," Cambridge Research Center Geophysieal Research Direc-

C-I3OD as$ig&d to the 17th Tacticat AirliflWing, parked on the flight line at ElmendorfPhoto)

Squadron, 21st CompositeAFB, Alaska. 1967. (USAF

.:::.iii:ril'j!,.;:::i :,

&'

,.!;6.1i .r!.rrri, it:!: , ..r,. r.:lr:!i, iri:! :ri

152

tarate, 17 Jun 1957. (Technical memo to director describing test re-su lts. I

"Project Overheat," Newfoundland Ease Command, May 1949. (A reporton the availability of wheeled landing surfaces and the possibility ofconducting sustained operations on the lce Cap.l

OTHER MONOGRAPHSDater, Dr. Henry, "Dakotas in the Antarctic, A Study in Versatility," His-.

tory and Research Div. USN Spt Foree, Antarctic, Wash. D.C., Sep1970. (lnformation on USN exploration in Antarctic; development ofski-wheel C-47; Air Force support of Deep Freeze 6O.)

Mock, Dr. Steven J,, "Greenland Operations of the'l7TAS and CBREL,"Mar 1972. (Account of 17TAS support of U.S. Army's scientific workon Greenland lce Cap.)

BOOKSBalchen, Bernt, "Come North With Me," New York: E.P. Dutton & Co.,

1958. (Personal account of Col Balchen's Arctic and Antarctic activitiesto include his involvement with Greenland during World War ll.l

Balchen, Col Bernt; Ford, Mai Corey; La Farge, Mai Oliver, "War BelowZero," Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1944. (Personal account byauthors of search and restue on the lce Cap and military operationsagainst German vveather stations on east coast of Greenland.)

Caidin, Martin, "Mighty Hercules," New York: E.P. Dutton and Co., 1963.{History of C-13O, includes C-l30D and support in Arctio and Antarc-tic. )

Caidin. Martin, "The Long Arm of America," New York: E'P' Dutton andCo., 1963. {Same as "Mighty Hercule"'l

Carson, William S., "Lifelines Through the Arctic," New York: Duell,Sloan, and Pearce, 1962, {Establishment oJ North Atlantic Ferry routeand operatioos during World War ll; post-World War ll developments inGreenland including Air Force exploration ol lce Cap and developmefitof a commercial route; general description of Greenland and earlyexploration flights.l

Craven and Cate (editors), "The Army Air Force in World War ll, Vol I'Plans and Early Op6rations." Chicago: University of Chicago Press,1958. {Development of ferry bases in Greenland. operations')

Conn, Engleman, and Fairchild, "The Western Hemisphere, Guarding theUnited States and lts Outposts." Washingrton, D.C.: Office of Chief ofMilitary History, Department of Army. 1964. (Strategic importance ofGreenland, buildup of bases. and operations against German weatherstations.)

Erngaard, Erit, "Greenland Then and Now" (translated bY Mona Giersingl.Copenhagen, Denmark: Ladenann Lld, 1972' {A general pictorial his'tory of Greenland from beginning of recorded hislory to present.)

Fristrup, Borge, "The Greenland lce Cay'' (translated by David Stoner),Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1966. {History of all scientificexpeditions on Greenland lce Cap up to 1966. Detailed description otlce Cap including maps.)

Glines, Lt Col C.V., USAF (editorl, "Polar Aviation," New York: FranklinWatts, lnc., 1964. (Early flights to Greenland, World War ll activities,commercial activities.)

Goldberg, Arthur (editor), "A History of the United States Air Force1907-1957," New York: D. Van Nostrand Co.. 1957. (General historyof the USAF.)

Grierson, John, "Challenge to the Poles," Seattle: Uniuersity of Washing'ton Press, 1966. {Account of air explorations and pioneer rlights in thepolar regions.)

Morenus, Richard, "DEW Line," New York: Rand McNally, 1957. (Historyof the DEW Line.l

"Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958159," London 1959. (Developmentand description of C-l3OD and C'123J.1

PAMPHLETS"lnformation About Greenland," Danish Liaison Olficer, Sondrestrom AB,

Greenland, Feb 1973. (Short military history of Greenland')**"The DEW Line Story." Western Electric Company. Nodate.{History and

facrs about the DEW Line.)"Welcome to Sondrestrom Air Basri," Office of lnformalion, 468th Air

Base Group, circa 1974. {History and facts about Sondrestrom AB.}PEBIODICALSArnold, Maj Terry, "Raven on the Cap," Airman Magazine, Nov 1976.

{109 TAG, N.Y. ANG support of DYE ll and lll.}Bagnail, V.B. "Building the Distant Early Warning Line," Military Engi'

neer, Nov-Dec 1955. (Planning and construction o, the DEW Line, tech-nigues.l

Balchen. Bernt, "War Below Zero." Air Force Magazine, Feb I974. (Per'sonal account of Col Balchen's activities in Greenland during World Warll.)*

Furlong, R.D.M., "Evolution in Air Defence Bequirements." lnternationalDefeme Review, Jun 1974, (Nontechnical review of problems facing airdelense planners.)

Goyette, Harold B. "DEW Line-Canada lceland Link," Military Engineer,Sep-Oct 1962. {Describes how two lce Cap sites were built. providxdetailed description and f unction.)

'Martinez, E. "Aerial Snowmobiles," Airman Magazine. Nov 1969. {De-. scribs C-130D operations.)"Maxwell, H.G. "History ol the Hercules," Air Classics, Jun 1974. History

of the development and employment of the C-l30 written by a formerC-I30 pilot. Tells how it was to lly the C-13O.1

Miller, Edward, "Grondlandstly," Air Classics, Feb 1975. (An account ofGreenlandair, the local Greenland air service, which supports the entiraisland. Also covered is the commercial air operation at Sondre$rom,

, the only port ol entry.)Miller, Edward, "Ski Hercules," Air Clacsics, Jan 1975. {A description of

the C-l30D and it$ operations in Greenland.lMiller, Edward, "Helicopter Wreckovery," Air Classic Ouarterly Review,

Summer 1976. (An aecount of the rscovery of the Stinson, modelSM-1, Greater Rockford, which Hassell and Cramer landed on the lceCap in 1928.)

Mongin, Alfred, "Arctic lnspection, Task Force Six." Mariner, Dec 1969.{Describes Military Sealift Command support of Greenland bases.Sondrestrom is also described.)

Storm. Ted B.. "Mision DEW East," Airman Magazine, Jul 1974. {C-130Doperations on the lce Cap. and early development.l

"NORAD-A Study in Evolution," lnternational Defense Review, Jun1974. (The evolution of air defense.|

"The Greenland lce Plateau," Air University Ouarterly Feview, Spring1955. (Accounts of attempts to establish a permanant station on theGreenland lce Cap during World War ll. Proiect Snowman, and laterairlanding operations on the lcc Cap.l*

"The Saga of My Gal Sal," Lile Magazine, 20 Nov 1964. (Account of 27June 1942 crash of a B-17E on the lce Cap, and the latsr (1954| livec ofthe crew.l

NEWSPAPERSAir Force Times, 27 December 1967.Sondrestrom Sun, 13 May 1966;29 September 1967.Sourdough Sentinel (Etmendorf Base Newspaperl, 6 Nov 66; I Jul 65;27

May 66; 24 Jun66;4 Jun 71;9 Jun72:2 Mar 73; 27 Apr 73;1 Jun 73;27 Jun73.

ABOUT THE AUTHORJohn H. Cloe is currantly employed as a USAF civilian in the capacity ol

Historian for the 1931st Communications Group, Elmendorf AFBAlaska. Prior to that he worked as the Historian for the 21st CompositeWing and later as Acting, and then Dsputy Historian, Alaskan Air Com-mand,

He was born in Virginia, and was educated at Virginia Military lnstitute.He served 10 years in the U.S. Army as an lnfanvy officer. Two of those10 years ware spent in Vietnam as an infantry advisor and infantrycompany commandgr.

John's hobby is researching and building rnodel aircraft. He also holds acommercial pilot's license with 400 hours of flying time. His interest in Ai(Force history and aircraft is both professional and personal, and he says olthe accompanying article, "lit was] written as a result ol a trip to Green-land in April 1973 with the 17th Taetical Airlilt Squadron which was partof the 21st Composite Wing, AAC-the outfit that I worked for as a his'torian. During my stay in Greenland, I was fortunate to fly on the flightdeck of the C-13OD while the 17th was hauling fuel to the OYE sites. ltleft a lasting impression on me, of the nerve and skill of the aircrews whoroutinely operated in one of the world's most desolate and hostile places."

153