Cape Cod Coast Guard to Receives New Rescue Aircraft

April 19, 2011

The Coast Guard's First District Commander, Rear Adm. Daniel Neptun (center right), joined by Massachusetts Senate President Ms. Therese Murray (center left) and other local officials in commemorating the first step in Air Station Cape Cod's transition to operating the HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircraft by shoveling dirt in Buzzard’s Bay, Mass., April 15. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Luke Clayton.

CapeCodOnline: A bevy of local, state and Coast Guard officials broke ground Friday on a new $23 million hangar at Air Station Cape Cod. The proposed facility will eventually house 4 new HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft, used by Coast Guard officials for search and rescue.

The new HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircraft (right) is replacing the HU-25 Guardian (center) which replaced the HU-16 Albatross seaplane (left). U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Luke Clayton.

The new aircraft will replace the aging HU-25 Falcon jets that have been in use since the early 1980s.

The Ocean Sentry is exponentially larger than the Falcon jets, said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Daniel Neptun, first district commander. But the real benefit is flight time.

While the Falcon jets are faster, they can only stay in the air for about 4 hours. The Ocean Sentry features 9 hours of flight time, Neptun said.

To read more:

Cape Cod Times

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