ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30454, 30 May 1964, Page 19

ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

U.S. Numbers About Same

The numbers of aircraft and men in the United States Air Force unit taking part in next season’s United States Antarctic research programme will be about the same as last season, according to the Air Force liaison officer (Captain M. Watkins) who yesterday returned from planning conferences in the United States. Last season the £ir Force had 161 men and three Hercules based at Christchurch. Captain Watkins said there would be a similar number of Boeing transport flights between the United States and Christchurch as there were last season, and that 40 turnaround flights by Hercules had been planned between Christchurch and McMurdo Station. The unit commander next season would be LieutenantColonel R. D. Coffee, he said. Also the .mission will come from the 1501st Air Transport Wing, Travis Air-Force Base, California, and not from Charleston as it was last year.

The Military Air Transport Service would also make two flights a month with Hercules aircraft through the season, said Captain Watkins. The aircraft would fly to New Zealand by way of Avalon, Australia, direct, to the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Woodbourne where the aircraft would spend two hours on the ground unloading supplies for the U.S.A.F. unit stationed there before coming on to Christchurch for the crew to rest and to service aircraft.