Got a tour of the CG Search and Rescue helo

[Mr. Sandman]

They came to our local hospital as part of a health fair. (They fly extreme cases to Boston when no one else will fly) Anyway, got to chat with the crew and ask a lot of questions and climb around the helicopter. Kewl machine. Crew was very nice and really sharp. Most of the crew came from the Navy, the pilot I spoke to came from the Army and flew attack choppers in Iraq. They get retrained in SAR by the CG.

They have a 300 mil range and can loiter for 45 min on sight before having to come back. Lots of gear on board. There are some kewl night vision items and a killer light that looks like it will give you a sunburn if it hits you. It is a very solid looking vehicle. I asked him what was the worst conditions he has flow this in...75 knot crosswind.

One of the fellows is really into fly fishing and is planing to come back and fish the catch and release tourney. I told him (jokingly) if he brings this thing back when he comes we can really scout out the area before the tourney.

Upon leaving I asked how much maintenance does this require...get this:
for every hour of flight time it get 26 hours of maintenance.

Great group of Americans and I said that the orange and white paint job have to be the prettiest looking colors in the world when you really need them.

"Yes sir, thank you for stopping by"

[Squid kids Dad]

Saw the same at Otis years ago with the Scouts..It was really interesting

[Swimmer]

So are these people civilian employees of the CG or did they enlist with the CG after finishing with the Navy and Army.

[Tagger]

My son has signed up for the CG .. They are very selective ... Year waiting list ..

[Uncle Matt]

The CG is an unappreciated and overlooked asset at times. Unless you need them!!! I love to see the orange and white flying around Cape Cod. It makes me feel safe. Kudos to the fine men and women of the Coast Guard.

[Swimmer]

Always enjoy watching the swimmers jump from the helo in front of the jetty in Menemsha.

[GattaFish]

Tagger I hope your son gets in... You should be proud the CG does not just take anyone.

You guys have no idea how good those guys are,,,, To start this I will say that my father is a retired CG officer who taught and was very instrumental to the development of SAR and SAR school. He worked for many years when I was a kid on Governors Island in NY. He was the Captain of the cutter Valient, graduated from and worked at the CG Academy and also taught at the war college in Newport. Not to mention river patrol in Vietnam and all kinds of things that are overlooked and unappreciated by people everyday until their lives depend on them.

Less than 24 hours after Katrina the company I work for was contracted by FEMA to bring water to New Orleans, Bay St Louis and a few other places. We did this for 4 days straight round the clock with very little rest…With an exemption from the FAA to deviate from ANY regulations we flew thousands of gallons of bottled water and tankered round trip fuel (so we were very heavy) to these airports at night, with no instrument approaches, no runway or airport lights, into total darkness and onto short runways with very little rest. To me that was still no comparison to what the CG and other branches of the military pulled off in New Orleans.

They flew 50 ft or less above the ground were up for DAYS straight and were rarely thanked even by the people they saved. I remember them bringing people non-stop to the airport terminal for medical attention when we would be on the ground in N. O. unloading to go do another trip. There was no air traffic control the first night and I remember talking to “Omaha 44” an AWACS airplane running the show from above.

What I saw the first morning after Katrina when the sun came up was incredible. Hundreds and I mean hundreds of helicopters just above the trees… The place was completely devastated and the boys in orange were there. Just like they had been all night and would be for many days to come. There was no question they we doing everything they could to help people. I just don’t think people understand what it takes to be up for days and still be able to maintain the composure to pick people one by one off of roof tops, fly just above the tree line, avoid other aircraft and most of all do it at night in total darkness. Remember there were no city lights or anything and it was literally a dark hole.

I personally can not say enough about what I saw and the respect I have for the Coast Guard and other branches of the military. I hope everyone feels the same way I do.

[PNG]

Originally Posted by Tagger

My son has signed up for the CG .. They are very selective ... Year waiting list ..

Kinda true...

If he really wants in go to a different recruiter that has fewer customers.

Also be proactive and positive with your recruiter. Ask him if there are any no shows to go he will gladly take the spot at a moments notice and I mean it could be when he gets the phone call.

If you would like I might be able to rattle some cages...