Aircrews and maintainers from the 109th Airlift Wing, the New York Air National Guard unit in Scotia, marked the completion of twenty-five years of Antarctic support missions on 27 March 2013. The 109th AW made its first trip to Antarctica in January 1988, supporting the US Navy’s LC-130 mission at the time. The wing carried out its first full year of Antarctic operations in 1989. Flight operations in Antarctica are conducted in support of the US Antarctic Program, which is managed by the National Science Foundation. During the 2012-2013 season, the 109th AW crew completed 310 missions, flying 2,219 hours and transporting 6.4 million pounds of cargo and fuel. The wing also airlifted 3,602 passengers to and around Antarctica.
