Coming of Age

This article was written to honor ALASKA PATROL aviation support crews on the 60th Anniversary of ALASKA PATROL that was established on September 4, 1964. There is little to no reference material available on this topic, hence, much of the content here was accumulated via phone interviews, aviator logbooks reviews, emails and social media discussions. … Read more

The Coast Guard Air Station North Bend was commissioned 28 September 1974, as part of Group North Bend, co-located on the North Bend, Oregon, Municipal Airport. The airport is a former Naval Auxiliary Air Station and is located on the shore of Coos Bay. The original Group has grown since inception and now consists of … Read more

In response to a growing drug problem, Congress passed the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. It replaced more than 50 pieces of drug legislation and is the legal foundation for government anti-drug operations. It went into effect on May 1, 1971 and was enforced by the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) which operated … Read more

A HU-16 wing fatigue test completed in October of 1968 established a wing service life of 11,000 flight hours. It was realized that normal wear aggravated by operation in a salt laden environment and the steady amassing of flight hours would result in the elimination of the Coast Guard HU-16E fleet of aircraft. During the … Read more

Admiral Chester R. Bender became Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1970. He felt that the Coast Guard should create a distinctly different uniform from that of the Navy and solidify the fact that the Coast Guard was a separate organization. Admiral Bender also felt that the traditional bluejacket enlisted uniform was demeaning for … Read more

United States Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen is a direct descendant of Air Station San Juan, which was located on the Isla Grande Naval Station. In November 1971, the Air Station relocated to its present location at what was then Ramey Air Force Base in Aguadilla, and became known as Air Station Puerto Rico. Two … Read more

In the late 1960s significant interest was generated within the Coast Guard as to the feasibility of obtaining Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs) to support a variety of Coast Guard missions. When three SK-5 ACVs, no longer required for the naval mission in Vietnam, became available in late 1969 the Coast Guard elected to conduct an … Read more

Air Station Cape Cod crews fly both MH-60T “Jayhawk” helicopters and HC-144 “Ocean Sentry” fixed wing turboprops to perform a variety of Coast Guard missions. The primary mission, Search and Rescue (SAR), involves the protection of life and property in the offshore areas from the Canadian border to Long Island, New York. During the 1960s … Read more

In 1926, a second Coast Guard Air Station was established at Cape May, New Jersey to deter rum-runners. The Air Station was decommissioned in 1938 due to a lack of funding. However, air patrol detachments were maintained at Cape May until 1941. During World War II, the Navy used Cape May again, this time for … Read more

In early 1969 the long range aviation plan reflected a need for modification in the way the Coast Guard conducting aircraft training.  The Navy and the Air Force were diverging from the direction the Coast Guard was going and training was costing more while becoming less optimum. Headquarters authorized an initial budget of $3,000 and … Read more