Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
Encyclopedia
Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod is a United States Coast Guard
air station located on Otis Air National Guard Base
in Sandwich, Massachusetts
. It operates from New York City
to the Canadian Border. It was founded in 1970 as a replacement to Coast Guard Air Station Salem
.
The missions of CGAS Cape Cod include search and rescue
(SAR), Maritime Law enforcement
, International Ice Patrol
, aids to navigation support (such as operating lighthouse
s), and marine environmental protection (such as responding to oil spill
s). Currently, CGAS Cape Cod maintains and operates the HU-25 Guardian aircraft and HH-60 Jayhawk
helicopters.
and is adjacent to Otis Air National Guard Base
.
, that was in service from 1935 to 1970. Salem was just not able to expand, and the Coast Guard needed a space that could grow as needed and accommodate modern aircraft.
crashed into the sea while engaged in a medical evacuation of an injured seaman from a fishing vessel 180 miles southeast of Cape Cod. The four members: Canadian Forces Capt. G. Richard Burge, Lt. Cmdr. James Stiles, Petty Officer 2nd Class John Tait, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Bruce Kaehler,(2 pilots/2 crew members) who died in the crash were the only members of CGAS Cape Cod to ever lose their lives (as of 7/11/11) while out on a rescue mission. The HH-3F Pelican continued in service until replaced by the HH-60 Jayhawk
in the 90s. The last HH-52A Seaguard helicopters were transferred from CGAD Salem to CGAS Cape Cod in late 1970 and were phased out prior to the Jayhawk coming on board. The HU-25 Guardians arrived at CGAS Cape Cod, in 1982, replacing the HU-16E Albatross. The last Albatross, CGNR 7250, was retired on March 10, 1983 and is on display outside the entrance to the air station. CG 7250/NC 7250 was not only the last Coast Guard Albatross, but the last fixed-wing amphibious aircraft in US inventory.
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
air station located on Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
in Sandwich, Massachusetts
Sandwich, Massachusetts
Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,675 at the 2010 census. The Town Hall is located right next to the Dexter Grist Mill, in the historic district of town....
. It operates from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to the Canadian Border. It was founded in 1970 as a replacement to Coast Guard Air Station Salem
Coast Guard Air Station Salem
Coast Guard Air Station Salem was a United States Coast Guard air station located in Salem, Massachusetts. It operated from New York City to the Canadian Border.-Mission:...
.
Missions
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR), Maritime Law enforcement
Admiralty law
Admiralty law is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. It is a body of both domestic law governing maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between private entities which operate vessels on the oceans...
, International Ice Patrol
International Ice Patrol
The International Ice Patrol is an organization with the purpose of monitoring the presence of icebergs in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and reporting their movements for safety purposes. It is operated by United States Coast Guard but is funded by the 13 nations interested in trans-Atlantic...
, aids to navigation support (such as operating lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s), and marine environmental protection (such as responding to oil spill
Oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
s). Currently, CGAS Cape Cod maintains and operates the HU-25 Guardian aircraft and HH-60 Jayhawk
HH-60 Jayhawk
The Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk is a multi-mission, twin-engine, medium-range helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, military readiness and marine environmental protection missions...
helicopters.
Operations
Coast Guard Air Station (CGAS) Cape Cod is located on the Massachusetts Military ReservationMassachusetts Military Reservation
The Massachusetts Military Reservation, is a military reservation created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States War Department in 1935. Governor James Curley signed the state bill to allocate and purchase land for a military facility, and establishing a formal commission to...
and is adjacent to Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
.
CGAS Cape Cod Beginnings
In the 1950s, helicopters began to be incorporated into the Coast Guard. One such helicopter, the H-25A Army Mule was built with amphibious capabilities. Float planes were no longer needed because of this development. Therefore places like Coast Guard Air Station Salem were slowly being phased out. In the 1960s, the Coast Guard began searching for a replacement facility for Coast Guard Air Station SalemCoast Guard Air Station Salem
Coast Guard Air Station Salem was a United States Coast Guard air station located in Salem, Massachusetts. It operated from New York City to the Canadian Border.-Mission:...
, that was in service from 1935 to 1970. Salem was just not able to expand, and the Coast Guard needed a space that could grow as needed and accommodate modern aircraft.
1970-1995
In 1968, the Department of Defense agreed to allow the Coast Guard to utilize Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod for a new Coast Guard Air Station. Air Station Cape Cod was officially established/commissioned on August 29, 1970. The HH-3F Pelicans and HU-16E Albatrosses were transferred from CGAS Salem and CGAD Quonset Point Rhode Island (NAS) to then PCU Cape Cod in the summer of 1970. On Feb. 18, 1979, a Pelican CG-1432CG-1432 Crash
The CG-1432 Crash was an aviation accident which involved five crewmembers responding to a distress call from the Japanese fishing vessel Kaisei Maru #18.-Distress Call:...
crashed into the sea while engaged in a medical evacuation of an injured seaman from a fishing vessel 180 miles southeast of Cape Cod. The four members: Canadian Forces Capt. G. Richard Burge, Lt. Cmdr. James Stiles, Petty Officer 2nd Class John Tait, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Bruce Kaehler,(2 pilots/2 crew members) who died in the crash were the only members of CGAS Cape Cod to ever lose their lives (as of 7/11/11) while out on a rescue mission. The HH-3F Pelican continued in service until replaced by the HH-60 Jayhawk
HH-60 Jayhawk
The Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk is a multi-mission, twin-engine, medium-range helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, military readiness and marine environmental protection missions...
in the 90s. The last HH-52A Seaguard helicopters were transferred from CGAD Salem to CGAS Cape Cod in late 1970 and were phased out prior to the Jayhawk coming on board. The HU-25 Guardians arrived at CGAS Cape Cod, in 1982, replacing the HU-16E Albatross. The last Albatross, CGNR 7250, was retired on March 10, 1983 and is on display outside the entrance to the air station. CG 7250/NC 7250 was not only the last Coast Guard Albatross, but the last fixed-wing amphibious aircraft in US inventory.
1995-present
The Air Station has participated in rescues of sailors from Canada to New York. Cape Cod also has the only HU-25 aircraft in the Coast Guard equipped with Aireye, an airborne oil spill tracking and mapping system. The Coast Guard will soon replace the HU-25 with the HC-144 Ocean Sentry. On September 11, 2001 the commander of Air Station Cape Cod saw the second plane strike the north tower of the World Trade Center and, on his own authority, sent two HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters to try and rescue people stranded on the roofs. The south tower collapsed before they arrived but they thought they could still save people on the north tower had air traffic control not ordered them to land on Long Island saying that Air Force F-15s would shoot down any aircraft encountered over Manhattan. “We’re the rescue helicopter!” one of the pilots pointed out. As they landed and got back on the radio to continue arguing their case the second tower collapsed.External links
- http://www.uscg.mil/d1/units/ascapecod/