SYRACUSE -- Local PBS affiliate WCNY-TV has completed a locally-produced documentary that details work scientists and military personnel are performing in Greeland to study climate change. The program, Artic Air: A Greenlandic Journey with the 109th, will debut on Monday, November 8.
The program is scheduled to air that night at 9:00pm on WCNY 24.1 and 24.4.
WCNY President and CEO Robert Daino, in a press release, describes the documentary as "a little-known modern-day adventure story." He explains the program will give viewers a glimpse at the "exciting but dangerous mission that enables the National Science Foundation to conduct crucial climatology research."
The documentary tells the story of the 109th Airlift Wing, based in Scotia, near Albany. For the past two decades, the unit has been transporting scientists and supplies to sites in Antartica and Greenland. To make those trips, the 109th runs a fleet of LC-130s, the world's only ski-equipped planes, allowing for takeoffs and landings from snowy or icy surfaces, in addition to traditional runways.
WCNY's website has a special page devoted to the documentary. Right now, the page only contains a sneak peek of the program. After the debut, the page will include more information about the missions documented within the program. It will also offer a "Teachers' Guide" to provide supplemental activities and resources for educators who may wish to incorporate the documentary into their lesson plans.