P a ge 17 t opside V olume 114, I s s u e 4
Operation: SURFAIR
District Fifth Northern develops a joint Air and Surface Exercise by Joseph Smith, DCAPT D5NR
The Coast Guard Auxiliary boat crew had already transmitted their position, their boat’ s clutch was in neutral and the engine at idle, they waited under a bright blue sky on calm open water. Although the weather was seasonably hot, the crew appreciated their Type III / V PFD suits since the colder water was absorbing the heat from the air above it. The distinctive buzzing sound of a propeller beating the air came toward them, growing louder with each passing moment. A minute later a blue and white single engine, low-wing aircraft swept into view.
Auxiliary vessel zero zero one, Auxiliary vessel zero zero one, this is Auxiliary aircraft six niner whiskey … Mark on Top … Over. Six niner whiskey, this is zero zero one … Roger, we have you Marked on Top … Over.
The radio communications was concise and professional, the event lasted only three minutes. But it was the culmination of weeks of planning for a surface and air training evolution that had never been done before.
Every Coast Guard Auxiliary District conducts surface and air operations; and Coast Guard District Fifth Northern’ s Auxiliary Air Program successfully organized those resources to work together and put them to the test in a unique coordinated training exercise.
Assigned the mission name Operation SURFAIR, on May 19th 2017 it was the first documented training maneuver to practice a Auxiliary aircraft interacting with an Auxiliary surface vessel in D5NR.
The training evolution took place on Barnegat Bay, New Jersey and utilized facilities from two separate Areas of Responsibility( AOR)- an aircraft from Division 08 in Cumberland County, and a surface vessel from Division 07 in Ocean County. The mission was organized by Joseph Giannattasio, 5NR’ s District Staff Officer Aviation( DSO-AV) who explains the concept as,“ An alternative approach to provide a practical exercise for both aircrews and boat-crews that can be conducted during regularly scheduled patrols of vessels and aircraft within a district. More flexible than Auxiliary Search and Rescue( AUXSAR) exercises, it also allows for numerous vessels and crews to participate throughout an entire patrol season when they are underway.”
In his proposal to the District’ s Operations Training Officer( OTO) and the Order Issuing Authority( OIA) USCG Air Station Atlantic City, Giannattasio provided the mission overview: An Auxiliary pilot determines via AUXORDERS if an Auxiliary surface vessel will be on patrol in the flight route during a scheduled Maritime Observation Mission( MOM) flight. Prior to the flight the pilot and coxswain plan to rendezvous in the vessel’ s AOR at a specified time and establish radio communications( COMMS) at pre-arranged frequency( s). If COMMS are established, the pilot can decide to conduct a visual observation of the vessel if both are able to do so safely.
Continued on the next page...