Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 1 (HC-1) was a
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
squadron of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
operating several helicopter types in support of
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harborâ ...
ships and other units. The squadron was established on 1 April 1948 and disestablished on 29 April 1994. It was nicknamed "Pacific Fleet Angels" or just "Angels".
History
Early experience with helicopters by the Navy was developed by Helicopter Development Squadron THREE (VX-3) which operated out of
Naval Air Station Lakehurst
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
, New Jersey. This led to the creation of the service's first two designated helicopter squadrons, Helicopter Utility Squadron (HU-1) and
HU-2 on 1 April 1948.
[ ]
As the Navy changed the scope of roles for its utility helicopter squadrons, it also re-designated them Helicopter Combat Support Squadrons. HU-1 was duly re-designated HC-1 on 1 July 1965.
A detachment of HC-1 participated in
Operation Desert Storm
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
aboard and during its return played a key role assisting civilians in aftermath of the
1991 Bangladesh cyclone.
The squadron was disestablished on 29 April 1994.
Equipment
The squadron has operated several types during its history:
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Sikorsky HO3S
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Sikorsky HO4S
The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company model number S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom ...
*
Piasecki HUP Retriever
The Piasecki HUP Retriever/H-25 Army Mule is a compact single radial engine, twin overlapping tandem rotor utility helicopter developed by the Piasecki Helicopter Corporation of Morton, Pennsylvania. Designed to a United States Navy specification ...
*
Sikorsky UH-34D/E Seahorse
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Kaman UH-2A/B/C Seasprite
*
Boeing-Vertol UH-46 Sea Knight
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Sikorsky SH-3G/UH-3H Sea King
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Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion
The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80, it was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor, ...
See also
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History of the United States Navy
The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that was notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy" the ...
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List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
There are hundreds of US Navy aircraft squadrons which are not currently active dating back to before World War II (the U.S. Navy operated aircraft prior to World War I, but it did not organize them in squadrons until after that war). To be mo ...
References
External links
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