Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay
Encyclopedia
Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay is a United States Coast Guard Air Station
located at Arcata-Eureka Airport
in McKinleyville, California
is one of five air stations in the Eleventh Coast Guard District.
Air Station Humboldt Bay consists of 3 MH-65C
helicopter
s and the primary mission is search and rescue
(SAR). Most cases are dramatic and lifesaving in nature due to the rough seas and generally poor weather conditions prevalent on the northern California coast. The Air Station also provides MEDEVAC support for injured personnel in the mountains surrounding the Group area. Secondary missions include aerial support for Aids to Navigation
, Maritime Law enforcement
, and Marine Environmental Protection
along 250 miles of rugged coastline from the Mendocino
- Sonoma County
line north to the California
- Oregon
border.
The Command Center
located at CGAS Humboldt Bay monitors for distress
24 hours a day and directs Coast Guard
boats and aircraft to respond to any maritime emergency
in the region; along the coast, well offshore, or even inland. The Group / Air Station also works with many local, state and federal agencies as needed.
in McKinleyville, California
This completed a multi-year initiative by local residents to gain a year-round aviation search and rescue
(SAR) facility for Northern California
. Prior to 1977, an aviation detachment from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco
provided air coverage during the summer season, but the response time of over two hours was not fast enough for victims to survive in the 40-50 degree water commonly found along the north coast.
Originally named Air Station Arcata, the Group / Air Station was re-designated to its current name in May 1982. The new $3.5 million facility also relocated boat station support offices from nearby Samoa to establish centralized command and control over all Coast Guard assets in the area.
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 Arcata-Eureka Airport
Arcata-Eureka Airport
Arcata/Eureka Airport , also known as Arcata Airport, is an airport located north of Eureka in the unincorporated town of McKinleyville, California. This regional airport serves Humboldt County, including the two primary regional cities that compose its name: Arcata and Eureka. The airport is a...
in McKinleyville, California
McKinleyville, California
McKinleyville is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, United States. McKinleyville is located north of Arcata, at an elevation of . The population was 15,177 at the 2010 census, up from 13,599 at the 2000 census. This unincorporated community is the third largest community,...
is one of five air stations in the Eleventh Coast Guard District.
Operations and missions
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...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s and the primary mission is search and 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). Most cases are dramatic and lifesaving in nature due to the rough seas and generally poor weather conditions prevalent on the northern California coast. The Air Station also provides MEDEVAC support for injured personnel in the mountains surrounding the Group area. Secondary missions include aerial support for Aids to Navigation
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...
, Maritime Law enforcement
Admiralty law
Admiralty law is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. It is a body of both domestic law governing maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between private entities which operate vessels on the oceans...
, and 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...
along 250 miles of rugged coastline from the Mendocino
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
- Sonoma County
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
line north to the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
border.
The Command Center
Command center
A command center is any place that is used to provide centralized command for some purpose.While frequently considered to be a military facility, these can be used in many other cases by governments or businesses...
located at CGAS Humboldt Bay monitors for distress
Distress signal
A distress signal is an internationally recognized means for obtaining help. Distress signals take the form of or are commonly made by using radio signals, displaying a visually detected item or illumination, or making an audible sound, from a distance....
24 hours a day and directs 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...
boats and aircraft to respond to any maritime emergency
Maritime emergency
A maritime emergency is usually any serious distress to a maritime vessel or her crew.-See also:* Coast guard* Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon * Flare gun* Global Maritime Distress Safety System* Lifeboat* Mayday...
in the region; along the coast, well offshore, or even inland. The Group / Air Station also works with many local, state and federal agencies as needed.
History
Coast Guard Group / Air Station Humboldt Bay was commissioned on June 24, 1977 at the Arcata-Eureka AirportArcata-Eureka Airport
Arcata/Eureka Airport , also known as Arcata Airport, is an airport located north of Eureka in the unincorporated town of McKinleyville, California. This regional airport serves Humboldt County, including the two primary regional cities that compose its name: Arcata and Eureka. The airport is a...
in McKinleyville, California
McKinleyville, California
McKinleyville is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, United States. McKinleyville is located north of Arcata, at an elevation of . The population was 15,177 at the 2010 census, up from 13,599 at the 2000 census. This unincorporated community is the third largest community,...
This completed a multi-year initiative by local residents to gain a year-round aviation search and 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) facility for Northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Prior to 1977, an aviation detachment from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco
Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco
Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco is a United States Coast Guard Air Station located 13 miles south of downtown San Francisco, California at the San Francisco International Airport in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County...
provided air coverage during the summer season, but the response time of over two hours was not fast enough for victims to survive in the 40-50 degree water commonly found along the north coast.
Originally named Air Station Arcata, the Group / Air Station was re-designated to its current name in May 1982. The new $3.5 million facility also relocated boat station support offices from nearby Samoa to establish centralized command and control over all Coast Guard assets in the area.