Posted on 10/29/2009 10:22:08 PM PDT by VRWCTexan
Possibly. There's a fairly large structure right at the souther edge of the perimeter where personnel are allowed. That's as far as I've ever been. Beyond that is off limits. IIRC, there's also an aircraft graveyard. There's a lot of structures that are abandoned. The navy occupies only a small portion of the island with rotating personnel. We also allow Colorado State University to conduct studies on indigenous wildlife out there. It's always odd to see CSU eco-hippies drinking beers with the navy guys and gals at the Salty Crab (the one and only bar on the island).
Prayers for the crews....how are these aircraft in the same space??
12:06 am
The Cobra helicopter belonged to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is based at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, said Marine spokesman Maj. Jay Delarosa.
But this helicopter was stationed at Camp Pendleton, and there were two people on board, Delarosa said. He didn’t know when or from where the Cobra left for its training mission.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/oct/29/marine-coast-guard-planes-collide-san/
I live down here in Chula Vista and lately (maybe last 2 months) we have been getting buzzed by Cobras a lot. I don’t know if they are flying in and out of OLF Imperial Beach or what but they are always coming from or heading in the direction of IB so maybe they are running training missions from there. Doesn’t bother me watching them at all buzzing by, sometimes 3-4 in a group. It does drive you nuts though when they go by at 2 oclock in the morning at 500ft because they are not the quietest things and I have been woken up by them many times.
Anyway, a few times we have been outside when they have gone over and they are way low passing over the houses and sometimes with the way they are whipping around, fun to watch, but looks like they may be goofing off or hot dogging. Honestly us, and a couple neighbors, we have talked and always say that one of these days one is going to end up in someones back yard.
For a Cobra and a C-130 to collide in some very open space seems odd. Were not talking about 2 real fast moving aircraft so coming upon each other and not having time to avoid each other, especially with the maneuverability of the Cobra seems odd. I pray for the crews and hope this wasn’t the case of one or both of the crews messing around because for those 2 to just be flying along and run into each other seems like a long shot, especially with collision avoidance, that I assume is probably at least on the C-130 and a Cobra having radar capable of shooting objects miles away. Someone mentioned refueling, I know that CC ones are equipped to refuel CC choppers for extended search and rescue but don’t know if they train or participate in refueling Marine/Navy choppers.
probly a joint trainning op.......we used to drop flares through the helos below us to light up the surface all night long,can get hairy
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I followed up on this one, had not heard about it, numerous reports say Navy searching around Port Lavaca.....Port Lavaca is 40 miles inland...seesh..like you say, not a good week..
Yep, praying, but it’s going to take a lot of prayers to fight the jinx on the military that zero has brought on them.
As a former Coast Guard Recue Center Controller, I can say that it appears that they were involved in a multi-unit, land and sea search and rescue operation. I planned and executed many of these operations. There is supposed to be 500 ft vertical separation as well as horizontal separation by search area. Perhaps, the target was located and the C-130 was directing the helo to the site. That would be the only reason to have both aircraft in the same area. It will be interesting to see the inquiry results.
From my home in San Clemente (mainland) many years ago, on a very clear day and before all the trees blocked the view, San Clemente Island was a bump on the horizon. And Catalina looked like you could swim to it.
The Coast Guard has stepped up patrols between San Diego, the Coronado Islands and San Clemente to intercept illegal aliens being smuggled by boats. We can see San Clemente on clear winter days and there is a USCG presence most days out there. A C130 from Sacramento was also just involved in a SAR rescue of a yacht in the yacht race to Cabo. The average day sees a number of marine and navy helo’s transiting the area at low level. Sounds like a c-130 SAR mission tangled with a transiting helo.
Well, PL is on a bay that is off of Matagorda Bay. Reports were that they were searching in the Gulf off of PL.
I was a C-130 Navigator in the Coast Guard for 10 years and stationed at Air Station Sacramento, Cal., the home of the above mentioned aircraft. We flew hundreds of various missions off of the coast of California every year. In that area, it is not unusual for more than one branch of the service to have aircraft flying at the same time. The flights are almost always at low altitudes and under VFR (Visual Flight Rules). It is unusual for there to be poor communication between branches and between the controllers on the ground. Somewhere, someone dropped the ball. Let’s pray that survivors will be found. Although the water temperature is fairly cold, it is survivable.
Sounds like a very interesting place. I also see a dock on the northern tip. I’d rather take a boat than a plane, I think.
That would be Beaver Control. They are in charge of the airspace out there. I talk with them quite frequently. Unless they were flying VFR without Beaver knowing and had no contact with the aircraft which is highly unlikely. I believe someone at Beaver Control messed up, Sorry to read about this in my backyard. Hope they find them all, but it is very unlikely. Prayers for all. : (
Thanks freema...just settling in to this now...updates do not sound good...prayers up!
I was in HSL-35 at North Island in the ‘70’s. Coronado really is a gem (someone in my outfit had an apartment there). I returned for a visit a couple of years ago, and was surprised to see a picture of my squadron still hanging in the Burger King.
That’s the great thing about Coronado. It’s a glamorous tourist stop, high dollar real estate, but they don’t let anyone forget the military there and the military history and people who have been stationed there. You see a lot of Navy Seal pictures and things because of the Amphib base, a lot of carrier related things because of the carriers being stationed there and a lot of things about NASNI in general because it is known as “The Birthplace Of Naval Aviation”. I used to have many customers there and sometimes I used to think that Coronado must have led the country for the amount of retired Admirals who lived there plus present and former military and especially NAVY folks who stayed and called it home.
I also worked as a CG rescue center controller at Corpus back in 1980-82. Did you attend the search and rescue school in NY?
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