Coast Guard HU-25 Guardian Landing at Air Station Miami

[19Pilot]

Nice vid! Saw a previous comment you had on another video and saw that you were training to be a pilot for fixed wing. How'd that go for ya? Otherwise what all did you do to get the flight slot? Just wondering. Thanks.

[pilotboy17]

@19Pilot Hey, I am currently in Aviation Preflight Indoc (API) at NAS Pensacola and graduate on Wednesday. From there, I'll go on to fly the Beechcraft T-34for Primary training. When I finish that, I will be selected to go to Corpus Christi, TX for fixed training or stay in Florida for helos (hopefully fixed though!).

[pilotboy17]

@19Pilot For the flight slot, I applied when the message came out. I was a marine inspector at my last unit. I didn't get flight school out of Officer Candidate School b/c my vision was bad at the time, but I had PRK surgery (paid for by the military) and now have better than 20/20. I also hold civilian flight instructor licenses and have an Aviation Science degree, so that helped along with command endorsement and hard work at my last unit. Any other questions, let me know.

[19Pilot]

@pilotboy17 well congrats on that and good luck. But deff try and go fixed haha Thanks for the info and I currently got all my ratings except for CFI and ATP but I am working on CFI now so hopefully that helps. Would like to see some vids on the T-34 lol Have fun in training thanks.

[pilotboy17]

@19Pilot Thank you! Keep working on that CFI. You'll get it! I remember when the FAA examiner did mine, he made me do all the maneuvers without looking in the cockpit. I probably busted some of the mins but I passed. I'll try to get some videos in T-34, but I think Navy regs may prohibit it unless you get approval.

Btw, are you in the Coast Guard right now?

[19Pilot]

@pilotboy17 lol i know what you mean, the FAA examiner I go to is like that. I am not in the Coast Guard I am a senior in College working on my Bachelor's degree in Flight Technoloy and Operations. I am hoping to get accepted into the OCS program and then apply for a flight slot.

[slapshot121212]

This video is a flashback. I was stationed at USCG Airsta Miami from 91-97 as an AE3 (now AMT) and an HU-25 dropmaster. It was fun, but I don't miss the HU-25's at all. They are a maintenance nightmare.

[pilotboy17]

@slapshot121212: You know what...too bad now wasn't then, because they are finally starting to replace the HU-25s with the Casa! One of my friend's is flying the HU-25 and will be making the transition soon.

[slapshot121212]

I've seen the HC-144 and think it is a vast improvement. They had one at Airsta Clearwater. I remember the HU-26C radar and flir being high tech at the time (early 90's). The new avionics on the 144 look great!! Finally a system that seems to work well together.

The Falcon 20 is a great plane. It just wasn't designed for the mission the CG used it for and some of the system were not wise choices (CSM electrical and ATF-3 engines come to mind).

[acollado1225]

Sweet video dude.. im a senior in high school and i really hope to enlist in the coast guard. Is it hard to become a pilot in the coast guard?

[pilotboy17]

It depends on who you are, but you definitely need to have good study habits (do well in school), pass the ASTB, and a very strict military physical. If you get all those down and you plan on enlisting with the CG, definitely go into an Aviation Rate (rescue swimmer, aviation maintenance tech or avionics elec. tech.). That will give you an edge on other candidates already.

[Atlantisfan119]

Enlisted men cannot be pilots, only officers.

[scubarocky69]

how far can they fly?

[falconflyer34]

about 2000 miles at altitude, but we operate mostly down low, anywhere from 100 feet above the water up to usually 1500 feet. We use much more gas down there. Most of our missions are within 200 miles of our base.

[AEC561]

i cant wait till im older im gunna become a U.S coast guard

[trav1971]

what a great job to have

[chazanater]

what is this jet's role in the coast guard?

[falconflyer34]

In Miami, mostly surveillance, checking for migrant and drug smuggling. It has infrared camera for night ops. Occasionally we get a search and rescue case. We can drop a raft or pump out of the bottom of the plane. Occasionally we get used to transport an Admiral or Congressperson somewhere. Lots of hours of droning around looking at waves from 1000' eating box lunches.

[krazyjk022]

thats awesome you are so much help, what are the helicopters used for?

[CountFlyer]

mostly search and rescue. Hoisting people out of the water, but they do homeland security and law enfocement patrols too. There's a squadron of helicopters that have machine guns on them that are strictly for intercepting drug smugglers.

[devilblazer5]

to keep a look out of any imigration into us soil

[kernel6356]

All A/S Miami HU-25 pilots should go up and thank Chief Dan Hayward for "keepin em flying"

[falcon20cne]

Yeah I flew on these planes out of Opa Locka back in the mid to late 90's. its really not all that it is cracked up to be, looks a lot more fun than it really is. The best part of the Coast Guard is the people you are stationed with. Although I must say that doing drops both real and practice was a lot of fun and was Panama and the Virgin Islands were great. The Guardian movie was over the top, the Coast Guard does everything it can to avoid risking its people.

[notar1]

As opposed to a corperate jet and a military jet ..why the gloves?

[leewonnacott]

I think NATOPS requires aviators to wear them for fire safety reasons.

[johnvines]

09l ? isn't that one of the us army mos

translator aide yah it is there soldiers are bunch of arab monkeys

[rotortweet]

The clicking noise is the elevator trim switch being activated on the pilots yoke. Used to drive us nuts in the headset everytime we did touch and go's

[fishman23678]

Very cool video, I myself am very interested in joining the Coast Guard and being a pilot.

[duanecarpenter]

I watched a professional crew doing a thankless job wearing an American Flag on their sholders. Too bad the guy above did not see the work they did at the huricanes a while back in rescuing people from places no one could go, except some men and women wearing that same uniform and flag.

[pilotboy17]

Awesome man. Yea like depicted in the Guardian film...no one recognizes the coast guard until they really need them.

[fishman23678]

Very cool video, I myself am interested in joining the Coast Guard to be a helicopter pilot.

[fpere006]

I have a question for you guys. One, why is the CG infatuated with shit from france. Two, what do you do with your fixed wing other then fly VIP's, Look for Icebergs, and haul stuff around?

[pilotboy17]

No comment...you are a dumbass.

[fpere006]

That was a serious question

[blackberry303]

Search and rescue, law enforcement surveillance, they are also capable of dropping equipment to people in distress.. in short they do more then you think they do.

[maniaxwife]

WHAT IS THAT CLICKINGG NOISE

[carqwik]

The elevator trim moving.