(luring a search for ice infoi-iiintioii; "Ice Patrol" meant tliat ice in- 

 fornuition was availaljle and being broadcast. Tlie advent of aircraft 

 reconnaissance and radar ai'.d the integrated activities of the planes, 

 oceanogrji])hic vessel and patrol vesscd now provide the continuity of 

 infoiMuation whicli permits the un((ualified use of the term "Patrol." 

 Jt is eni])liasized that (lie change in title in no way reflects a change in 

 the functions or services of the T^ati'ol. 



AERIAL ICE OBSERVATION 



Fortv-one ice observation flights wei'e made during the ])erio(l from 

 10 March to 30 June. 'J'lu'se flights averaged 1.200 miles in length 

 and 7.5 hours in duration. Each flight is planned for maximum cover- 

 age in a selected area. The search areas are determined by the degree 

 and reliability of available ice information over the Grand Banks, 

 prevailing conditions of wind, sea and visibility, and the activity of 

 the Labrador Current. The primary objective is to maintain accurate 

 information concerning the southwestern, southern, and southeastern 

 limits of the ice. A secondary objective is to fix th(> location of as 

 much of the ice within the limits as is consistent with the accomplish- 

 ment of the primary objective. 



Twenty preseason observation flights were made from 1 January to 

 10 March by C^oast Guard Air Detachment Argentia aircraft to estab- 

 lish the southern limits of the ice in its southward drift. The position 

 and rate of encroachment information resulting from these flights is 

 the major factor in determining the time that the patrol services 

 should connnence. The relatively large number of preseason fliglits 

 was principally due to tlie unusual appearance of icebergs on the Grand 

 Banks during late December 1959 and January 1960. From the 

 termination of the Patrol on 30 June to 16 September, 14 postseason 

 reconnaissance flights were made to guard against an midetected ice 

 encroachment. During Decend)er due to the report of bergs oflf the 

 Newfoundland coast, two reconnaissance flights were made searching 

 the area from 48° N. to 50°20' N. as far east as the 1,000 fathom curve. 

 No ice was sighted during these two flights. 



Flight statistics for the Patrol season are ])resented in tabl(> 1. 



Table 1. — Aerialjilce Obscrvation^Statistics for the 1960 Season 



March (10 30 



April 



May 



June 



Total.-. 



Number 



of 



flights 



Number 



(lays flights 



made 



Number 



(lays good 



weather 



.\verage 

 visual ef- 

 fectiveness 



Percent 

 (i7. 5 

 70.0 

 52. 3 

 79.8 



63.4 



-Maximum 

 number 



days 

 between 

 flights 



Hours 

 flown 



48.1 

 72.4 

 96.8 

 90.4 



307 



