Also called: 109th Airlift Wing aircrew, Polar airlift crew member
Flies the ski-equipped LC-130 cargo planes of the New York Air National Guard, landing on snow and ice in Antarctica and Greenland.
Crews of pilots, navigators, flight engineers and loadmasters fly supplies and scientists to remote research camps, landing on skis on open ice sheets. Antarctic season runs roughly October to February, based out of McMurdo Station. In other months they train in Greenland and New York.
Full-time Guard members earn active-duty RMC; part-time members earn drill pay on top of a civilian job. 2026 estimate. Pilots earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 2 years after high school. Enlist or commission in the New York Air National Guard; pilots need a degree and flight school, enlisted crew need aircrew training. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Aviation, Any major (for pilots).
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Flight tech helps; landing on open ice in polar weather stays human.
Classes: Physics, Earth science, Math.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.