Coast Guardsmen found the Seaguard to be versatile and easy to use. It helped considerably that its main design used the same main rotor, tail rotor, and transmission system used by the piston-powered Sikorsky S-55 (the Coast Guard’s HO4S-1G). But the HH-52A’s fuselage was entirely new, being designed for fully amphibious operation with a waterproof, flying boat hull and semi-retractable main undercarriage wheels mounted in the two outrigger stabilizing floats.
There were just two short periods when Coast Guard aviation had larger budgets than usual – the Reagan-era 1980s and the period just after 9/11.
Designed from the start for amphibious operations, the Seaguard proved itself able to function safely in 8- to 10-foot waves. An innovative feature was a platform that folded out from the cabin floor, extending over the water where crewmembers could reach out to assist accident survivors.
War in Asia
In Vietnam, Coast Guard helicopter pilots did not bring their own aircraft to the war zone but flew on exchange duty with the Air Force.
Many served with combat SAR forces that operated HH-3E “Jolly Green” and HH-53 Stallion or “Super Jolly Green” rotorcraft that traveled behind enemy lines to save downed airmen. A Memorandum of Agreement with the Air Force inked on March 31, 1967, took care of the formalities that laid the foundation for an aviator exchange program.
Altogether, 11 Coast Guard fliers were in the Southeast Asia war. One of the most recognized was Lt. Jack Rittichier, who, with the entire crew of “Jolly 23” perished while attempting to rescue a downed Marine Corps fighter pilot in a mountainous region west of Da Nang in June 1968. Rittichier was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Purple Heart.
Lts. Thomas F. Frischmann and James Casey Quinn signed up to fly HU-16E Albatross rescue missions. When it became clear the Air Force equivalent of the Albatross was being phased out – no Coast Guard-owned aircraft made it to Southeast Asia – both officers received training in the Air Force HC-130P Combat King, the air-refueler/combat-rescue version of the Hercules tactical airlifter. The Combat King was the unsung hero of the massive combat SAR effort that saved hundreds in North Vietnam. It “passed gas” to rescue helicopters and functioned as an airborne command post when appropriate. HC-130Ps came under fire in the air and even when parked in revetments on the ground.
More money
There were just two short periods when Coast Guard aviation had larger budgets than usual – the Reagan-era 1980s and the period just after 9/11.
An influx of funding helped to underwrite the most numerous helicopter operated by the Coast Guard, the HH-65 Dauphin (Dolphin), a French design that makes extensive use of composite materials, prompting Capt. Peter Prindle to nickname it the “Plastic Puppy.”
An MH-65D Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles has recently returned from Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where it received a “retro” paint scheme to celebrate 25 years of the service using the Dolphin. This aircraft will continue service as the Coast Guard’s only Dolphin with the white paint scheme. The Dolphin, a short-range recovery helicopter, has been enhanced through a series of incremental upgrades. The prototype MH-65E completed its first flight on Oct. 28, 2015. Photo by Michael Darcy
The HH-65A first flew in 1980 and, after technical delays, entered service at New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1985. At one time, the Dolphin model had a less than 50 percent mission capable rate and was widely criticized for being underpowered – with twin, U.S.-manufactured 740-shaft horsepower Lycoming LTS-101 turboshaft engines and 39-foot rotors – and difficult to support because of its lack of commonality with other U.S. military helicopters.
Coast Guard efforts overcame these challenges and the Dolphin has had a successful career. Today, Dolphins operate up to 150 miles offshore and will fly comfortably at 120 knots for three hours.