The Lockheed LC-130 is a ski-equipped United States Air Force variant of the C-130 Hercules used in the Arctic and Antarctic. Ten are currently in service with the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard. [1]

Mar 10, 2025 · Based on Lockheed’s prolific C-130 Hercules transport, the LC-130 is the largest ski-equipped tactical aircraft in the world, according to the US Air Force (USAF). The type uses Teflon-coated...

Mar 9, 2025 · The LC-130 is the only ski-equipped aircraft in the U.S. military capable of conducting large-scale airlift missions in Antarctica, the Arctic, and other extreme cold-weather environments.

Mar 11, 2025 · The Air Force’s LC-130 touched down on freshwater ice for the first time in decades, signaling the service’s leap in flexibility for “defensive or offensive operations” in the Arctic, according to a USAF official.

Feb 16, 2022 · Also called the ‘Skibird,’ the Air Force’s LC-130 is the largest ski-equipped aircraft in the world, and it regularly flies resupply missions to science stations in Antarctica and Greenland. The...

The LC-130H is a ski-equipped, Arctic-support derivative of the C-130H. It is capable of direct resupply of Antarctic research stations and high-arctic radar sites utilizing ice and snowpack runways. The LC-130H fleet supports the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Antarctic research, ferrying much of the material, provisions, and personnel ...

Mar 17, 2022 · LC-130 Hercules aircraft will have a smoother takeoff from Antarctica and Greenland thanks to the 109th Maintenance Squadron. Propulsion specialists with the 109th assembled the first Air National Guard -built T56 3.5 turbo engine.

LC-130s are specially modified with a wheel/ski landing gear configuration for operation in Arctic and Antarctic regions. Originally built for the U.S. Navy, most of these C-130 variants are being handed over to the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing.

Mar 7, 2025 · The LC-130’s flown by the 109th Airlift Wing are the largest tactical aircraft in the world with the ability to land on snow and ice using skis. NEWS INFO. Date Taken: 03.07.2025 ...

The Lockheed LC-130 is a ski-equipped United States Air Force variant of the C-130 Hercules used in the Arctic and Antarctic. Ten are currently in service with the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard.