HELSEACOMBATRON THREE   (Merlins)

On 8th March 2014, Rapcon were privileged to visit HSC-3 at Naval Air Station North Island.  The airbase at NASNI is situated at San Diego in California and is fully integrated with Naval Base Coronado which is also the home port of several aircraft carriers assigned to the United States Navy Pacific Fleet.

NASNI is home to eighteen US Navy air squadrons, sixteen of which operate four different models of  the Sikorsky H-60 helicopter.  HSC-3 is the US West Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron and can proudly boast being the largest Fleet Replacement Squadron in the United States Navy currently.

HSC-3 has been operating the multimission MH-60S Knighthawk since 2002 and the squadron’s primary role is to provide training for Fleet Replacement Pilots and Aircrew, not only for eventual duty in the MH-60S, but also in the SH-60F and HH-60H models as well.

During our visit to HSC-3, we witnessed a range of activities with the helicopters, from routine maintenance, both in the hangars and on the active ramps, to complete wash-downs to eliminate the all too damaging  presence of salt which inevitably comes with a coastal environment.  Above all, we were impressed with the HSC-3 philosophy of carrying out every task with safety being top of the agenda.  Our photo gallery shows a number of these activities, along with those of the two other squadrons (HSC-4 Black Knights and HSC-14 Chargers) with whom HSC-3 share an active ramp.

Rapcon would like to express many thanks to their US Navy hosts who made this visit possible.