An LC-130 Hercules with the 109th Airlift Wing takes

An LC-130 Hercules with the 109th Airlift Wing takes off from Stratton Air National Guard Base, Scotia, N.Y., Oct. 17, 2014. The aircraft is headed to Antarctica for the wing's 27th year participating in Operation Deep Freeze in support of the National Science Foundation. The 109th AW boasts the U.S. military's only ski-equipped aircraft, which has been supporting the NSF's South Pole research since 1988. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. William Gizara/Released)