Coast Guard Air Station Salem was a United States Coast Guard

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 in Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...

. It operated 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.

Mission

The air station's missions included search and rescue, law enforcement, counting migratory waterfowl for the U.S. Biological Survey and assisting icebound islands by delivering provisions.

Beginnings

With little room to expand at Gloucester, a new air station was established at Salem in 1935. Salem CGAS as it became to be known was built with a barracks, hangar, a tarmac, and a ramp.

World War II

In 1941 air crews from Salem began flying neutrality patrols along the coast, and the war years saw the air station roster increase to 37 aircraft, making it the second largest station on the east coast. Patrols were flown with depth charges for anti-submarine patrols. On October 21, 1944 Air Station Salem was officially designated as the first US Air-Sea Rescue service on the eastern seaboard.

Post War Years

In 1950, Air Detachment Quonset Point, Rhode Island was established as a sub unit of Air Station Salem. During the 1950s, helicopters were introduced with a great deal of success as a rescue platform.

With the development of the HH-52A, an amphibious helicopter

Amphibious helicopter

An amphibious helicopter is a helicopter that is intended to rest and take off from either land or water. Amphibious helicopters are used for a variety of specialized purposes including air-sea rescue, marine salvage and oceanography, in addition to other tasks that can be accomplished with any...

, the need for a flying boat was lessened. Therefore, air stations having only water landing capabilities, such as Salem, were phased out. It was eventually replaced by Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod

Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod

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...

in 1970.

Geographic Location

Coast Guard Air Station Salem is located at 42°31′35"N 70°52′07"W.

External links

• http://uscgaviationhistory.aoptero.org/coldfusion/inactive_airsta_srch.cfm
• http://www.uscg.mil/history/stations/airsta_salem.html
• http://www.airfields-freeman.com/MA/Airfields_MA_Boston_N.html#salem