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USCG Opa-Locka FL

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Text:

Michael E. Fader & Andy Herzog

Pictures:

Michael E. Fader & Andy Herzog

Note

All pictures are scanned from Fuji slide.

   

In 1990 when we traveled around Florida we got the unique opportunity to visit the USCG Miami at Opa-locka. In fact in the 90’s it was easy to get access to any Base - a phone call on the day before was all we needed to get in; a great opportunity to have a closer look at the ramp, as well as the hangars where several aircrafts and helicopters undergoing their maintenance.

History

The Opa-locka Executive Airport is located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, 11 miles north of downtown Miami. Aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss retired from aircraft development and manufacturing in the 1920’s and became a real estate developer in Florida. In 1929 he founded the Airport and erected a World War I surplus hangar from Key West on it. In 1932 the U.S. Navy leased some land from the city of Miami (who owned the land) what’s called today the western periphery of Opa-locka airport. Major expansion of the base began in 1939, and it was commissioned as Naval Air Station Miami in 1940. During World War II, NAS Miami was headquarters for operations of the U.S. Naval Air Training Command, with six training bases. Activity continued on a reduced basic after the war. Following the departure of U.S. Navy in 1955, it became Marine Corps Air Station Miami. With the transfer of Marine Air Reserve squadrons and support units to NAS Jacksonville, Florida in 1958 and 1959, MCAS Miami was closed in 1959. In 1965 the Coast Guard Air Station Miami transferred its aircraft and operations from its Dinner Key installation to the Opa-locka Airport and reestablishing CGAS Miami on this site. CGAS Miami continues to operate the site with HU-25 Guardian and HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircrafts and HH-65 Dolphin helicopters.  The USCG carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three key-roles are: 1. Maritime safety, 2. Maritime security, 3. Maritime stewardship.

 

Operations at present days

As today the Station had like in the 90’s the HU-25 Guardian fixed-wing aircraft and HH-65 Dolphin helicopters in their fleets. Both were manufactured in France which was a surprising fact that American’s were flying foreign planes. But our Guide had a very simple explanation to this, and said "The Coast Guard is flying only the best Aircrafts and Helicopters in the world”. Well; a true statement!

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   
 

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 
   
 

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6574 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault U-25A 2136 Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault U-25A 2136 Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

 

The SA366 G1 Dauphin version was selected by the USCG in 1979 as its new short range recovery (SRR) air-sea rescue helicopter, replacing the Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guard. In order to comply with U.S. regulations relating to local engineering, changes were required — notably, the SA365's original Turbomeca Arriel engines were replaced with LTS101-750B-2 power plants, which at the time represented the cutting edge of turbo shaft design. Unfortunately, initial teething problems with this engine worsened, as the HH-65's weight grew, resulting in several in-flight loss-of-power situations. In March 2004 the Coast Guard announced the selection of the Turbomeca Arriel 2C2-CG, already installed in the original SA365 helicopters. This upgrade began in 2004, and has resulted in a safer and more reliable aircraft.

Dassault U-25C Guardian (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog

Dassault U-25C Guardian (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog

Dassault U-25A Guardian (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog

Dassault U-25A 2136 Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault U-25A 2136 Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault U-25A 2136 & 2132 Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault U-25A 2132 Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Unmarked Dassault U-25C Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

Unmarked Dassault U-25C Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Unmarked Dassault U-25C Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

The USCG operates a type of the French build Dassault Falcon 20, called HU-25 Guardian which is used as a high-speed observer aircraft to locate shipwreck survivors, direct slower-moving aircraft and rescue vessels and interdict aerial and ship borne drug trafficking. The Falcon 20G, HU-25 and Falcon 200 were powered by two Garrett ATF3 engines. Again the the original power plant (General Electric CF700-2D-2 turbofan) was replaced by the USCG, this time without any serious problems.

Dassault U-25A Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault U-25A 2126 Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault U-25A Guardian (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog

Dassault U-25A Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   
 

Dassault U-25C 2112 Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Dassault U-25A Guardian (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog

Dassault U-25A Guardian (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 

Dassault U-25A Guardian (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin 6509 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

A third and rather unusual type of aircraft we have seen in their inventory, was Spanish build Casa C-212-200 Aviocar - a light transport plane. The plane was leased by the USCG on a long term contract, to test the abilities of this airplane, regarding the need and requirements by the U.S. Coast Guard. . Maybe it was a forerunner of today’s HC-144 Ocean Sentry from Casa. And again: a European Aircraft - I think we build the world’s best airplanes!

Oskosh (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Casa C212-300 s/n 393 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Casa C212-300 s/n 393 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Casa C212-300 s/n 393 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

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The other planes

De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou  N1017H c/n 243 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Douglas A-26B Invader N550 ex. 44-34555 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Douglas A-26B Invader N550 ex. 44-34555 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Douglas A-26B Invader N550 ex. 44-34555 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Beech C-45G Expeditor N7694C c/n AF-24 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Beech C-45G Expeditor N7694C c/n AF-24 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Alligator Air Transport Beech H18S N4296E c/n BA-682 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Aerospace Trading International Inc Fairchild C-123K Provider N689SM ex USAF 54-0689 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Air Recovery Inc Douglas C-47B Dakota, s/n 15075/ 26520 later scrapped at Opa Locka (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Douglas C-117D Skytrain N212DD s/n 43386 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Douglas VC-47D Dakota N87664 s/n 15781/32529 Became N73CD in 1991, thereafter converted to BT-67 PNC-0258 with the Columbian Police (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Douglas C-117D Skytrain  (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Grumman HU-16B Albatross N5823H BuAer 137904 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Grumman HU-16B Albatross N5823H BuAer 137904 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Grumman HU-16B Albatross N7026H BuAer 142360 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   
 

Grumman HU-16B Albatross N7026H BuAer 142360 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Grumman HU-16B Albatross N7026H BuAer 142360 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Grumman HU-16B Albatross N7026H BuAer 142360 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Grumman HU-16B Albatross N7026H BuAer 142360 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 
   
  Grumman SHU-16B Albatross N8497J ex USAF 49-099 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog) Grumman SHU-16B Albatross N8497J ex USAF 49-099 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog) Grumman SHU-16B Albatross N8497J ex USAF 49-099 (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog) Convair 580 N73163(Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)  
   
 

Shorts 330 N846SA US Air Express  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Shorts 330 N846SA US Air Express  (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Boeing 727-22(F) N727CD (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

Maintenance crew (Photo courtesy Andy Herzog)

 

Lockheed JetStar N501AL s/n 5012 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Douglas DC-7 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Cessna 172 M N64112 (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

Lake LA-250 Renegade (Photo courtesy Michael E. Fader)

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last update 1. August 2013

Written 1. August 2013

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