Air Travel to the Ice (Image 2)

Air Travel to the Ice (Image 2) Crew members onboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 plane bound for Antarctica. The USAF 62nd Airlift Wing out of McChord AFB, Washington, provides airlift support between Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The C-17s are one of two types of planes used for support in the Antarctic. The other is the smaller LC-130. The C-17s have wheels, and can only land on hard, pack-ice runways. For landings at remote research field camps and locations with snow cover, ski equipped LC-130 planes are used. McMurdo is one of three U.S. research stations on Antarctica. The National Science Foundation operates them. [One of five related images. See Next Image.] (Date of Image: 2006)