Operation Deep Freeze

252.050 PAC: Ice 81 attempting comms with Deep Freeze Ops on satcom.

252.050 PAC: Reach 7E1 calling Ice Ops multiple times. Base Ops can be heard answering back but the aircraft does not seem to copy them as their signal was pretty weak.

After a long hiatus, we finally logged more comms from Operation Deep Freeze over UHF SATCOM voice. They were noted using 263.625 last week with Ice 25, Base Ops, Mac Centre and Charleston ROF all monitored. Routine type traffic with weather info being passed.

Polar 01 with off deck report to Mac Center. Polar 01 informs Mac Center they departed at time 0225, estimates the South Pole at 0450, and estimated time back to Pegasus is 0715. Polar 01 later heard reporting various Pole # checkpoints to Mac Center and mentioned about being in contact with the DZ controller for the Skiway Amundsen drop zone. Pretty neat to be sitting here in California listening to an aircraft flying over the South Pole.

Operation Deep Freeze activity continues on 261.725. Here is Frozen 07 reporting with Mac Center at position URROA in the block FL180 to FL260, estimates SNIPT at 0333 and BOENZ next.

Ice 08 wkg Mac Center reporting SNIPT at time 0426, FL310, estimates BOENZ at 0510 and JEHOO at 0521. McMurdo Weather comes up and gives Ice 08 their PSR forecast for their estimated arrival at 0545 – reports few clouds at 1,500, scattered at 8,000, broken at 15,000, visibility unrestricted with drifting snow, grid wind 240 at 15, temperature -25 and altimeter of 2925.

Here are some Operation Deep Freeze comms monitored last month on satcom. They seemed to have been having some problems with their HF comms that day.

Mac Center forecaster passing updated PSR information to Ice 07. At 0351, Ice 07 reports position BOENZ and estimates JEHOO at 0402.

Ice 07 checking in with Mac Center for departure clearance back to Christchurch. Ice 07 reports departing Pegasus at 0545, estimates BOENZ at 0614, estimate for 60 South at 0824 and ETA to Christchurch at 1048.

Reach 700, Mac Center and Deep Freeze Ops with UHF satcom checks.

261.725 PAC: Ice 09 wkg Mac Center reporting position URROA at time 2324, FL310, estimates SNIPT at 0011 and JIPIG next. Mac Center requests Ice 09 to disregard JIPIG report and to give their estimates for BOENZ and JEHOO when crossing SNIPT. McMurdo Weather then comes up and gave latest forecast report to Ice 09 for their arrival. Reach 982 also heard wkg Ice Ops for radio check and advised they had departed Hickam with 9 1/2 hours to Christchurch.

On September 28th, the U.S. military kicked off the annual 2015-2016 season of Operation Deep Freeze, which supports the U.S. Antarctic Program and the National Science Foundation. Here are some communications monitored on frequency 261.725 from Ice 04 and Mac Center discussing the weather conditions at Pegasus Airfield.