Alameda became home to many aviation squadrons. 1994 Base closure brought about many changes in California. As a result, some helicopter squadrons were decommissioned, and some were moved. These pictures highlight many of the rotary wing aircraft stationed here. HM-15 Squadron flew the Sea Dragon and performed Mine Countermeasures mission by towing the “sled” behind the helicopter on the surface of the water. The idea was to trigger mines to detonate behind and below the helicopter. Naval Air Station Alameda history as a multi-use base of fixed week and helicopters is not unique but has changed substantially in the last twenty years. Today, Naval Air Station North Island is primarily a Helicopter base. Fixed wing aircraft are primarily stationed at Miramar Naval Air Station and Fallon Naval Air Station. The squadron fly off base is located in Central California at Lemoore Naval Air Station. The Navy continues to consolidate the number and types of helicopters operated to simplify maintenance and training. For example the SH-60 built by Sikorsky is still being manufactured to this day, making parts and service simpler. We continue to look for historical photos with descriptions to post on our webpage and share with the world. If any, please submit them to us with a 300DPI minimum scan!
More helicopter history is found at this link:
https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-navy-aircraft/helicopter.html
