What are some pros and cons for the different airframes?

HH-65 guys have to fly with ice in our shorts because we're so damn hot.

Helo crews deliver and recover rescue swimmers, which in turn has an immediate sinse of accomplishment. Depending on your qualification you maintain will depend on the excitement.

Fixed wing aircraft travel higher, faster, further than helos, put rarely due you get to deploy a live person out or recover anyone.

They have both been fun for me, and would be glad to fly on either helos or fixed wing any day.

Side note for those of you haven't noticed yet, it is painted on the tail section of all Coast Guard Helos."Danger keep Away"

quote:

Side note for those of you haven't noticed yet, it is painted on the tail section of all Coast Guard Helos."Danger keep Away"

It might say something about helo guys, but those pesky "No Step" signs are also equally ignored.

I've heard some AST get pretty close to the tail rotor on some big swings back to the helo?

HH-60J is a maintenance hog but can still do autorotations. HH-65C Can only fly a couple of hours and can't practice autorotations. A C-130H is the work truck but has a slower work pace environment. Never been on HU25 Falcons. Helos get more awards and stuff but it is also a little more dangerous due to the hovering factor. Hope this helps a little.

Helo's if you like to observe nature up close and in the face!

Been around in lots of 65 autos.....

When I think of the flying we did in helo's in Alaska it was a lot of flying below the cloud cieling 200' and at around 100-120 MPH up the beaches, rivers, inlets fiord etc... It was very exciting to be flying that low and fast with the door open and the mech seat all the way forward in the door. LOts too see and if you see some thing interesting its nice to come around and hover over it like whales knocking barnicles of thier sides in the surf, bears and moose running/fighting in the muskeage, or goats running up and down cliffs. Really great flying in Alaska.
Good luck,

well, its been a while for this ol' retired swimmer; but i was lucky(?) to have chalked up over a 1000 hours on the herc as well as helos,
so my two pennies worth:

helo sar, for me as a swimmer, was far more exciting. the flying was lower and the sightseeing far more enjoyable (if you see something interesting, especially in alaska, you bank around and come into a hover and enjoy the view. this proved invaluable when i was stationed in san diego and we'd take the weekend flight around san clemente island and occasionally locate the topless sunbathers on the yachts)...

the hercs allow you to take longer trips, though (at least the good ol' days of TAD per diem in alaska...). and there's always that great C-130 galley oven to warm up the fried chicken box lunch. which leads up to the added feature of the honeybucket in the aft of the herc when you've finished that tasty box lunch...

the aircraft are flown differently, the flight times vary, but the aircraft both work for the same cause, gents. i enjoyed working in both of them.

and here's a salute to the crews that fly on them, the mechs that keep 'em working, and all the ship/shore units that assist us when we're burning fuel in the air: