Coast Guard Air Station, Sacramento

 military, United States Coast Guard

USCG Eleventh District
6037 Price Ave. # 1106
McClellan, CA 95652
(916) 925-6030

www.uscg.mil/d11/airstaSacramento/default.asp

Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento was commissioned on the fifth of September 1978, becoming the Coast Guard’s newest operational aviation facility. It is located at the north end of McClellan Air Force Base. Air Station Sacramento was established as an outgrowth of Air Station San Francisco, where ramp space and an increase in the number of aircraft required that the fixed-wing contingent be relocated. With a complement of 191 officers and enlisted personnel operating five HC-130 "Hercules" aircraft, Air Station Sacramento is an asset of the Department of Transportation under the operational and administrative control of the Commander, Twelfth Coast Guard District.

Air Station Sacramento participates in a wide range of Coast Guard missions. Primary among them and perhaps most widely known is Search and Rescue. The Air Station maintains a 24-hour immediate response capability, with a "ready" Search and Rescue crew on duty at all times. Search and rescue coverage is provided for the Eastern Pacific Area, the entire west coast of the United States, areas west of Canada, and south along the Baja California coast.

The HC-130 "Hercules" operated by Air Station Sacramento is one of the most versatile aircraft in the world today. Four powerful turboprop engines enable short field take-offs and landings, as well as a respectable cruise speed of 290 knots. The HC-130’s fuel capacity allows for covering long distances as well as extended on-scene endurance in the event of long searches or emergencies at sea. Visibility, an extremely important factor in any search, is excellent. The aircraft’s high maximum weight allowance and large cargo compartment permit handling of a wide variety of cargos. An aft ramp and door may be opened in flight, allowing aerial delivery of cargo or emergency equipment. All in all, the HC-130 is an extremely versatile and reliable aircraft, well-suited to the multiple mission needs of Coast Guard aviation.

Patrols are flown year-round and are coordinated with Coast Guard cutters also on patrol, allowing a greater geographic area to be more thoroughly covered. As many as 6 or 8 Coast Guard cutters may be coordinated into a patrol. The aircraft extends the ‘eyes’ of the ship while patrolling not only coastal waters, but shipping lanes and fishing grounds miles at sea. The ship provides a boarding capability should a violation be detected.

Other missions of Air Station Sacramento are Marine Environmental Protection and Federal Law Enforcement. These efforts include fisheries patrols in support of the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976 and law enforcement patrols aimed at enforcing the 200-mile limit and combating the ever-increasing problem of drug smuggling.

Another major area of responsibility of Air Station Sacramento is that of providing transportation for the Pacific Strike Team, the Coast Guard’s oil spill prevention and containment team on the west coast. Located at Hamilton Field, the Strike Team is immediately alerted in the event of an oil spill, responding to provide expert assistance in containment and cleanup of environmentally damaged areas.

Air Station Sacramento further supports the many missions of the Coast Guard by performing logistics flights between the stations, carrying essential cargo and passengers on an ‘as- required’ basis. Also, the Coast Guard’s Long Range Aids to Navigation System is frequently checked for accuracy by LORAN monitor flights over both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Aircrews are constantly conducting training flights to maintain proficiency in the basic airmanship and Search and Rescue techniques that so often result in the saving of lives and property at sea.