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23-627: Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Humboldt Bay is a United States Coast Guard Air Station and Sector, with command and primary assets located at the Arcata-Eureka Airport in McKinleyville, California , 16 miles north of Eureka in Humboldt County . The station is the site of the command center for all Coast Guard personnel stationed and assets located on the coasts of Humboldt, Mendocino , and Del Norte Counties. It

46-697: A four-axis autopilot, allowing for hands-off hover over a pre-determined location. The Dolphin is primarily a Short Range Recovery (SRR) aircraft. There are now a total of 102 Dolphins in the United States Coast Guard Fleet. The fleet has home ports in 17 cities on the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean , Gulf of Mexico , Hawaii , and the Great Lakes region. The Dolphin is usually deployed from shore but it can be deployed from medium and high endurance Coast Guard Cutters , as well as

69-516: A safer and more capable aircraft. These modified HH-65As and HH-65Bs, which also gained new avionics and other enhancements, have been designated as HH-65Cs. The HH-65A's minimum equipment requirements exceeded anything previously packaged into a helicopter weighing less than 10,000 pounds (4,535 kg). Seventy-five percent of the HH-65's structure—including rotorhead, rotor blades and fuselage—consists of corrosion-resistant composite materials. Also

92-509: A unique feature of the Dolphin is its computerized flight management system, which integrates state-of-the-art communications and navigation equipment. This system provides automatic flight control. At the pilot's direction, the system will bring the aircraft to a stable hover 50 feet (15 m) above a selected object. This is an important safety feature in darkness or inclement weather. Selected search patterns can be flown automatically, freeing

115-799: Is a twin-engined helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for medevac -capable search and rescue (SAR) and armed Airborne Use of Force missions. It is a variant of the French-built Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin . The SA366 G1 Dauphin version was selected by the United States Coast Guard in 1979 as its new short range recovery (SRR) air-sea rescue helicopter, replacing the Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guard . In total 99 helicopters, optimised for

138-638: Is also used to patrol the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) around Washington, D.C. , also known as the National Capital Region (NCR). Seven new-build MH-65Cs were acquired for this mission. In the early 1980s, the Israeli Navy sought to acquire a purpose-built maritime helicopter to bolster its over-the-horizon detection and targeting capabilities. Several helicopter types were evaluated, including

161-502: Is one of four air stations in the Eleventh Coast Guard District. Sector/Air Station Humboldt Bay consists of 3 MH-65E helicopters and the primary mission is search and rescue (SAR). Most cases are dramatic and lifesaving in nature due to the rough seas and generally poor weather conditions prevalent on the northern California coast. The Air Station also provides MEDEVAC support for injured personnel in

184-487: The HC-130 Hercules , are built for long range missions and operate from air stations. The air stations and facilities are also home to locally based MH-65D Dolphin and Sikorsky HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and support rotor craft assigned to flight deck equipped cutters . Unlike Coast Guard Boat Stations, which are subordinate to Sector Commanders , the commanding officer of a Coast Guard Air Station reports to

207-585: The Polar Icebreakers . The Dolphin's main jobs are: search and rescue, enforcement of laws and treaties (including drug interdiction), polar ice breaking, marine environmental protection including pollution control, and military readiness. When deployed from an icebreaker, the helicopter acts as the ship's eyes, searching out thinner and more navigable ice channels. They also have the job of airlifting supplies to villages isolated by winter, or transporting scientists to conduct remote research. The MH-65

230-578: The Westland Lynx and SH-60 Seahawk ; in 1983, Israel announced the selection of the HH-65 Dolphin. Seeking a few examples to gain service experience and with limited funding, Israel acquired two used HH-65A developmental test aircraft from the USCG, the first HH-65A pre-production prototype (c/n 6002) and the third prototype (c/n 6005). These were delivered on 4 August 1985 and although owned by

253-551: The HH-65's avionics in Cedar Rapids, Iowa . The HH-65 Dolphin is used for homeland security patrols, cargo , drug interdiction , ice breaking , military readiness, pollution control , and search and rescue missions. The HH-65 is known for its Fenestron tail rotor and its autopilot capabilities, which can complete an unaided approach to the water and bring the aircraft into a stable 50 ft (15 m) hover, or automatically fly search patterns, an ability which allows

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276-668: The HH-65's weight grew, resulting in several in-flight loss-of-power events. The USCG funded a program to improve engine reliability, but the resulting LTS101-850 failed to meet expectations. In 1994, the USCG therefore held a fast-track competition to select a new engine, and in March 2004 the Guard announced the selection of the Turbomeca Arriel 2C2-CG , already installed on the EC155 . This upgrade began in 2004, and has resulted in

299-668: The USCG's search and rescue role tasks and given the designation HH-65A Dolphin, were acquired. Unlike the HH-52, the HH-65A is not able to perform water landings. The HH-65 normally carries a crew of four: Pilot, Copilot, Flight Mechanic and Rescue Swimmer . The Dolphin was manufactured by Aerospatiale Helicopter Corporation (later Airbus Helicopters ) and assembled in Grand Prairie, Texas . Lycoming LTS101 -750B-2 turboshaft engines were selected, while Rockwell Collins manufactured

322-666: The appropriate District Commander. Air stations are typically commanded by an officer with the rank of captain . Air station planning and overall aviation policies are under the oversight of the Office of Aviation Forces (CG-711), which in turn reports to the Assistant Commandant for Capability. 42. https://cgaviationhistory.org/1969-coast-guard-air-station-chicago-established/ Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin The Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin

345-539: The crew to engage in other tasks. In order to comply with U.S. regulations relating to local content (based primarily on the value of individual components of the aircraft), engineering changes were required—notably, the SA365's original Turbomeca Arriel engines were replaced with the LTS101-750B-2 , which at the time were required to be American. Unfortunately, initial teething problems with this engine worsened as

368-556: The historic facility in Samoa to establish centralized command and control over all Coast Guard assets throughout the region. United States Coast Guard Air Stations A Coast Guard Air Station (abbreviated as CGAS or AirSta ) provides aviation support for the United States Coast Guard . The Coast Guard operates approximately 210 aircraft from 24 Coast Guard Air Stations in the United States. Fixed-wing aircraft, such as

391-492: The interior in remote locations, on rivers and lakes and, especially, in mountainous terrain and in forests and related park and private lands as called upon. On Humboldt Bay the USCG has operated at the same site continuously at least since 1878 based at its historic facility, the Humboldt Bay Life-Saving Station . Even with a cutter based at Eureka's docks and another at Crescent City, command in

414-654: The modern era was split as air support was directed from San Francisco. However, on June 24, 1977, as the culmination of a multi-year initiative by local residents and groups to gain a year-round aviation search and rescue (SAR) facility for Northern California , then Coast Guard Air Station Arcata was commissioned, complete with new assets, at the Arcata-Eureka Airport in McKinleyville, California. Prior to 1977, an aviation detachment from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco provided air coverage during

437-637: The navy, they were operated by the Israeli Air Force . Initially serving as the maritime flight of 124 Squadron at Palmachim , in June 1987 the IAF formed a dedicated maritime squadron, 193 Squadron , to which the two Dolphins were assigned. On 16 September 1996 one crashed in the Mediterranean, killing the three crew members on board. The remaining helicopter was retired a year later, replaced by

460-452: The pilot and copilot to concentrate on sighting & searching the object. A distinctive feature of the MH-65 is its fenestron ducted-fan anti-torque device. The fenestron consists of 11 blades spinning inside a circular housing at the base of the helicopter's tail fin. Certified for single-pilot instrument flight rules (IFR) operation, the HH-65A was the first helicopter certified with

483-585: The region; along the coast, well offshore, or even inland. The Sector / Air Station also works with many local, state and federal agencies as needed. The Coast Guard has long had a presence on and around Humboldt Bay. Beginning in 1856 and continuing uninterrupted, the service has operated on Humboldt Bay and provided life-saving assistance on the Bay and all along the North Coast, out at sea and, as time went by, it has assisted other agencies, providing assistance in

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506-521: The summer season, but the response time of over two hours was not fast enough for victims to survive in the 40-50 degree water commonly found along the north coast. Originally named Air Station Arcata, the Air Station was re-designated to its current name Air Station Humboldt Bay in May 1982. A $ 3.5 million facility constructed at the Arcata-Eureka Airport also relocated boat station command and control from

529-571: The surrounding mountains. Secondary missions include aerial support for Aids to Navigation , Maritime Law enforcement , and Marine Environmental Protection along 250 miles of rugged coastline from the Mendocino - Sonoma County line north to the California - Oregon border. The Command Center located at CGAS Humboldt Bay monitors for distress 24 hours a day and directs Coast Guard boats and aircraft to respond to any maritime emergency in

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