It is to be noted that the International Ice Patrol Office, comprised 

 of a small permanent nucleus of personnel, was officially established 

 on a year-round basis at Argentia, Newfoundland, on 1 October 1963. 

 Commanding: Officer, Coast Guard Air Detachment, Argentia, has been 

 designated Commander, International Ice Patrol. While the estab- 

 lishment of the International Ice Patrol Office at Argentia on a year- 

 round basis does not necessarily mean that the International Ice 

 Patrol will expand its activities or increase the duration of the active 

 Ice Patrol, it should result in a more efficient operation of the Ice Patrol. 



Table 1. Number of Bergs Drifting South of 48° N. by Month for 1963, and Average 



Since 1900 



Month 1963 Average 



(since 1900) 



January 



February 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August through December. 



Total 



AERIAL ICE OBSERVATION 



This year was marked by the record low total of Ice Patrol flights 

 and flight-hours since aircraft were flrst used for aerial ice reconnais- 

 sance. A total of 24 flights involving 163.5 hours were made during 

 the season as compared to 27 flights, 198.2 hours, in 1951 and 30 flights, 

 197.7 hours, in 1958. The years 1958 and 1951 were the two lightest 

 iceberg years in the past 20 years. The main reason for the record 

 low flights and hours in 1963 is the fact that the season was very light 

 and iceberg threat to the Grand Banks was mainly concentrated from 

 mid-March to Mid-May instead of being spread out over 3 or 4 months. 

 Flights were flown an average of once every 4 days, with an average 

 of 1,164 miles and 6.8 hours for each flight. 



Aerial ice reconnaissance was performed mainly by two Lockheed 

 Hercules (HC-130B) aircraft of the U.S. Coast Guard Air Detach- 

 ment, Argentia. Two flights were made by a Douglas Skymaster 

 (R5D) deployed temporarily in April from the U.S. Coast Guard Air 

 Station, Elizabeth City, N.C., and six flights by an HC-130B from 

 U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, San Francisco, manned by Argentia 

 crews. The latter aircraft were deployed to Argentia in April when 

 both Argentia HC-130B aircraft were undergoing wing repairs. Gen- 

 erally, the Hercules proved itself to be superior to the Skymaster for 

 aerial ice reconnaissance. The main advantages of the Hercules are 

 better ice-observing facilities and greater speed and range available. 

 Usually two trained observers were assigned each flight. The Her- 



