Last modified Mon., October 22, 2007 - 04:21 PM
Originally created Thursday, October 18, 2007

HS-5 returns from successful detachment

By Lt. Nick Kesler , HS-5 PAO

Lt. Trevor Prouty, Lt. Dan Person, AW1 Brandon Fullmer and AW3 Branden Rice take off for a night search and rescue flight in support of carrier qualifications on board USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Photo courtesy of HS-5

The "Nightdippers" of HS-5 recently returned home from a detachment on board USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), where they helped provide continuous search and rescue support during a two-week fleet and training command carrier qualification period. HS-5 departed NAS Jax on Sept. 12 taking 75 Sailors and four aircraft to Norfolk, Va. where they met the carrier.

After pulling out of Norfolk, USS Eisenhower and HS-5 got to work helping qualify nearly 25 pilots from VFA-106 at NAS Oceana, Va. After finishing the first batch of carrier qualifications, the ship headed south to position herself off the northern Florida coast to help facilitate initial qualifications for the training commands. Student pilots from Training Wing One and Training Wing Two based at NAS Meridian, Miss. and NAS Kingsville, Texas respectively, flew their T-45 Goshawks from Cecil Field to obtain their initial training carrier qualifications.

The Navy's Helicopter Test and Evaluation Squadron 21 (HX-21) also came on board from NAS Patuxent River, Md. to certify new helicopter precision landing areas on board the carrier during the detachment. The new landing areas will help expand the interoperability and flexibility of concurrent fixed-wing and helicopter operations aboard all of the Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

Having HX-21 on board created an excellent opportunity for Nightdipper maintenance personnel, aircrew and pilots to learn about the Navy's two newest helicopters, the Sikorsky MH-60R and MH-60S. During an in depth tour given by members of HX-21, the Nightdippers were able to ask questions and more fully understand the capabilities of what will soon become the main helicopter platforms throughout the fleet. With HS-5 due to transition to the MH-60S in 2010, the tour along with the question and answer period proved to be invaluable as HS-5 personnel gained insight into the future of the squadron.

HS-5 also took advantage of their time on board the ship completing various levels of search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and naval special warfare support training. This training helped many of the aircrew and pilots work closer towards their respective qualifications as tactical system operators and helicopter aircraft commanders. One of the pilots, Lt. j.g. Brady Broich, gained his qualification as a helicopter second pilot.

The Nightdippers returned home Sept. 28 and will embark on board USS Eisenhower once more in November and December before starting their maintenance and training post-deployment recovery period. This maintenance and training phase will last until next summer when the Nightdippers will start a new work-up cycle aimed towards another successful deployment in 2009.