AERIAL ICE RECONNAISSANCE 



During the period 1 September 1971 to 4 September 1972, a total of 

 82 ice observation flights were made. Preseason flights made in 

 January and February accounted for 7 flights, and 75 flights made 

 during the season accounted for the remainder. The purpose of the 

 preseason flights was to study iceberg distribution patterns in the 

 Labrador Sea and to evaluate the iceberg potential of the developing 

 ice season. The purpose of the flights during the season was to 

 guard the southeastern, southern, and southwestern limits of icebergs, 

 to evaluate the short term iceberg potential of the waters immediately 

 north of the Grand Banks, and occasionally to study the iceberg distri- 

 bution along the Labrador coast. Flight statistics are shown in Table 1, 

 and are exclusive of time required to deploy from U.S. Coast Guard Air 

 Station, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to the operating base. 



Table 1. AERIAL ICE RECONNAISSANCE STATISTICS 

 SEPTEMBER 1971 TO AUGUST 1972 



Month Number of Flights Flight Hours 



PRESEASON 



Sep-Dec 



January 3 26.6 



February 4 39.1 



Preseason total 7 65.7 



SEASON 



9 68.0 



15 120.3 



19 132.4 



8 45.9 

 14 92.4 



9 58.6 

 1 8.0 



_75 525.6 



"82 591.3 



