Iceberg Reconnaissance 

 and Communications 



During the 1988 Ice Patrol 

 year (from October 1 , 1987, 

 through September 30, 1988), 86 

 aircraft sorties were flown in 

 support of the International Ice 

 Patrol. These included pre- 

 season flights, ice observation 

 flights during the season, post 

 season flights, logistics flights, and 

 SLAR research flights. Pre- 

 season flights determined iceberg 

 concentrations north of 48°N. 

 These iceberg concentrations 

 were needed to estimate the time 

 when icebergs would threaten the 

 North Atlantic shipping lanes in the 

 vicinity of the Grand Banks of 



Newfoundland. During the active 

 season, ice observation flights 

 located the southwestern, south- 

 ern, and southeastern limits of 

 icebergs. Logistics flights were 

 necessary to support the patrol 

 aircraft due to aircraft mainte- 

 nance problems. Post season 

 flights were made to check on the 

 iceberg distribution, to retrieve 

 parts and equipment from Gander, 

 and to close out all business trans- 

 actions from the season. The 

 SLAR research flights were in 

 support of SLAREX '88. 



Aerial ice reconnaissance 

 was conducted with SLAR- 

 equipped HC-130H aircraft, and, 

 for the first time, with a SLAR- 

 equipped HU-25B aircraft. The 

 U.S. Coast Guard HC-130H 

 aircraft deployed from Coast Air 

 Station Elizabeth City, North 

 Carolina. The U.S. Coast Guard 

 HU-25B aircraft deployed from 

 Coast Guard Air Station Cape 

 Cod, Massachusetts. The HC- 

 130H and HU-25B aircraft both 

 participated in SLAREX '88. HC- 

 130 aircraft were used on logistics 

 flights. Table 4 shows aircraft use 

 during the 1988 ice year. 



Table 4. Aircraft use during the 

 1988 IIP Year (Octoberl, 1987- 

 September 30, 1988) 



Aircraft 

 Deployment 



Pre-season 

 Regular Season 

 Post Season 

 SLAR Research 



Total 



Sorties 



16 



50 



3 



17 



86 



Flight Hours 



92.7 



272.0 



16.9 



53.2 



434.8 



Iceberg Reconnaissance Sorties by Month 



Month 



Feb 



Mar 



Apr 



May 



Jun 



Jul 



Aug 



Total 



Sorties 



Flight Hours 



3 

 4 

 V 

 8 

 11 

 5 

 2 



40 



21.0 

 28.1 

 43.7 

 51.3 

 68.8 

 32.1 

 12.4 



257.4 



11 



