Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans
Encyclopedia
Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans is a United States Coast Guard Air Station
located at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans
in Belle Chasse, Louisiana
. It is a military unit and tenant installation on Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans
.
Air Station New Orleans provides Search & Rescue
(SAR) coverage with MH-65C Dolphin
helicopters 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for numerous miles of shoreline from the western border of Florida
to the eastern border of Texas
, averaging more than 320 SAR cases a year. Other missions include: Marine Safety, Marine Environmental Protection
, Protection of Natural Resources, Aids to Navigation support
, Migrant Interdiction, Drug Interdiction
, and Defense Readiness. Many of these missions require deployment of Aviation Detachments (AVDETs) about Coast Guard Cutters
.
Air Station New Orleans is also recognized as being the first HH-65 “Dolphin” helicopter search and rescue unit and can claim the title of being one of the busiest search and rescue units with in the Coast Guard, boasting 339 cases in 2002 alone. However, search and rescue sorties are not the only missions flown by helicopter crews assigned to the air station. Law enforcement patrols are flown over the Gulf of Mexico, around the Mississippi River, over Lake Ponchartrain and other neighboring waterways.
Located 11 miles west of the metropolis of New Orleans, Belle Chasse offers those stationed at the air station the experience of small town life while at the same time just a short drive across the river is one of America’s major cultural attractions, keeping everyone entertained. New Orleans lures the crew with its diverse culture, original music and bright lights.
United States Coast Guard Air Stations
A Coast Guard Air Station 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 the HC 130 Hercules built for long range missions operate from air stations...
located at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans is a base of the United States military located in Belle Chasse, unincorporated Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. NAS JRB New Orleans is home to the 159th Fighter Wing as well as other naval activities...
in Belle Chasse, Louisiana
Belle Chasse, Louisiana
Belle Chasse is a census-designated place in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Belle Chasse is part of the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. The population was 9,848 at the 2000 census....
. It is a military unit and tenant installation on Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans is a base of the United States military located in Belle Chasse, unincorporated Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. NAS JRB New Orleans is home to the 159th Fighter Wing as well as other naval activities...
.
Operations and missions
Coast Guard Air Station (CGAS) New Orleans support a multitude of Coast Guard missions world-wide.Air Station New Orleans provides Search & Rescue
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) coverage with MH-65C Dolphin
HH-65 Dolphin
The Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin is a twin-engined, single main rotor, MEDEVAC-capable Search and Rescue helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard...
helicopters 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for numerous miles of shoreline from the western border of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to the eastern border of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, averaging more than 320 SAR cases a year. Other missions include: Marine Safety, Marine Environmental Protection
Marine Environmental Protection
Marine environmental protection is one of the eleven missions of the United States Coast Guard.Officially, there are five areas of emphasis in the marine environmental protection mission...
, Protection of Natural Resources, Aids to Navigation support
Navigational aid
A navigational aid is any sort of marker which aids the traveler in navigation; the term is most commonly used to refer to nautical or aviation travel...
, Migrant Interdiction, Drug Interdiction
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
, and Defense Readiness. Many of these missions require deployment of Aviation Detachments (AVDETs) about Coast Guard Cutters
United States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
.
History
Air Station New Orleans has been a part of the Coast Guard family for nearly 50 years saving over 3,600 lives since its conception in 1955 at the Lakefront Airport in Metairie, La. Now located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River in Belle Chasse, La, the air station has proven itself to be a major asset within the Gulf of Mexico Region by being able to make the claim of saving an average of 73 lives a year since the year it was established and assisting many more. The crew of twenty-six officers and 85 enlisted personnel, along with five HH-65B Dolphin helicopters, stand ready to perform any mission at any time!Air Station New Orleans is also recognized as being the first HH-65 “Dolphin” helicopter search and rescue unit and can claim the title of being one of the busiest search and rescue units with in the Coast Guard, boasting 339 cases in 2002 alone. However, search and rescue sorties are not the only missions flown by helicopter crews assigned to the air station. Law enforcement patrols are flown over the Gulf of Mexico, around the Mississippi River, over Lake Ponchartrain and other neighboring waterways.
Located 11 miles west of the metropolis of New Orleans, Belle Chasse offers those stationed at the air station the experience of small town life while at the same time just a short drive across the river is one of America’s major cultural attractions, keeping everyone entertained. New Orleans lures the crew with its diverse culture, original music and bright lights.