Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles

Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles (CGAS Los Angeles) was [1] a United States Coast Guard air station located at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California.

Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles
Unit Patch U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles
Active1962–2016
Country United States
Branch United States Navy
TypeAir Station
RolePatrol the Southern California Coast from Dana Point to Morro Bay.
Garrison/HQNaval Air Station Point Mugu
Aircraft flown
Helicopter2 HH-65 Dolphin

Missions

CGAS Los Angeles missions included search and rescue, homeland security, and environmental protection.

Homeland security was also an important mission of CGAS Los Angeles. Helicopters from the base patrolled the west coast of the United States from Dana Point to Morro Bay. The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach also lied within the station's patrol area.

Crews from CGAS Los Angeles and Baywatch Cabrillo demonstrate search and rescue techniques in San Pedro, California

History

CGAS Los Angeles was founded in August 1962 through the combined efforts of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel, and U.S. Representative James Roosevelt.

Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard of USCG Los Angeles over LAX in 1973

In May 1963, the unit switched to three HH-52A "Sea Guard" helicopters. These helicopters were flown for 24 years.

In the 1972 TV drama series Emergency!, an episode titled "Trainee" saw a man fall off a cliff in Palos Verdes. A CG 1375 helicopter medicvaced the injured man to Rampart General Hospital.

In September 2016, CGAS Los Angeles was closed when the lease on the existing facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) ended. Administratively, its component units were relocated to Naval Air Station Point Mugu in Point Mugu, California and merged with/became a satellite of the Coast Guard Air Station in San Francisco.[2][3] This allowed LAX to accommodate the planned improvements for LAX's midfield, including the Midfield Satellite Concourse North (MSC North) terminal.[2][4]

A former patch of CGAS Los Angeles

References
  1. "COAST GUARD AIR STATION LOS ANGELES DECOMMISSIONING CEREMONY". Facebook. May 20, 2016.
  2. Green, Nick (January 23, 2015). "Local Coast Guard station to shrink after Air Station Los Angeles at LAX shuts in 2016". Daily Breeze.
  3. Orozco, Lance (September 9, 2016). "Coast Guard Permanently Moving Air Station From Los Angeles To Ventura County". KCLU.
  4. Burgess, Richard (February 2, 2015). "Coast Guard to Move Air Station from Los Angeles". Seapower. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015.
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