LACo Sheriff's Air 5

[RobertW]

What has happened to Air 5?




A couple of weeks ago I was up on Blue Ridge listening and watching from a turnout a rescue of a Girl Scout who had injured herself on the Mine Gulch Trail.

MA 101 asked dispatch to contact Los Angeles County Air 5.  Dispatch came back and said that Air 5 was not available but they were sending in another County chopper, one with a hoist.

Today there was a rescue needed above Arcadia at the top of Canyon road.  A hiker had gotten himself stuck half way up a waterfall.  Verdugo Fire contacted Los Angeles County as the BC in charge of the incident had requested Air 5.

When the BC asked Verdugo Dispatch for the ETA of Air 5, they told him that County had said that there is no longer an Air 5.  They were trying to drum up another County Chopper to handle the rescue.

Anybody hear what happend to Air 5?  On the Los Angeles County Sheriff's website they still show it as part of their arsenal.  It also seems strange that SBCo and LACo BCs haven't heard it is no longer available and are still requesting it.

[Janie]

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking the pilot of Air 5 based at Barley Flats.

He came into the Chilao Visitor Center where I volunteer to look it over. He was driving a sheriff's truck like the Montrose Search and Rescue volunteers do.

What happened was that a crack was discovered in one of the helicopters of the same kind. So the sheriff's department grounded them to check them over and found cracks in some others. I think he said they are being repaired.

[RobertW]

Thanks Janie for the info.  I figured that someone involved with the USFS would have an answer.  Air 5 has been such a valuable asset to rescues here in the ANF.  It's good to hear they are only "temporarily" grounded.

Rumor has it that they will soon move from Barley Flats to the old CalTrans yards here near Wrightwood as their base camp.  I hope the rumor is true.  I love watching that old bird fly...

[KWBoy]

Rumor has it that they will soon move from Barley Flats to the old CalTrans yards here near Wrightwood as their base camp.  I hope the rumor is true.  I love watching that old bird fly...

People would complain about the noise of the aircraft if it was based at the caltrans yard.  But isn't the caltrans yard in SB County? 

[Wrightwood]

No the Caltrans yard is in LA County. (As a side note - it probably will always be referred to as the Caltrans Yard but it now belongs to LA County Sheriff )

[clint]

Thanks Janie for the info.  I figured that someone involved with the USFS would have an answer.  Air 5 has been such a valuable asset to rescues here in the ANF.  It's good to hear they are only "temporarily" grounded.

Rumor has it that they will soon move from Barley Flats to the old CalTrans yards here near Wrightwood as their base camp.  I hope the rumor is true.  I love watching that old bird fly...

Old bird? Heck Robert, that's the new bird. The "old" Air Five was a rattletrap recip engine, and they stood in front of it with a fire extinguisher everytime hey started it. No joke!

[RobertW]

People would complain about the noise of the aircraft if it was based at the caltrans yard. 

No doubt.  I'm sure they'll approach and depart to the West as much as possible over Forest land perhaps changing it up "to spread the wealth".  Those ranches near the Caltrans yard would be the most effected.

I've heard they have to do some work to the CalTrans Yard before it can be used.  Something about asbestos removal, etc.  Again, this is hearsay.  If anyone is in the know and has the info, I'd appreciate knowing the facts.

Talk about complaining about helicopter noise...  Wait until the tree removal starts above Wrightwood.

[RobertW]

Old bird? Heck Robert, that's the new bird. The "old" Air Five was a rattletrap recip engine, and they stood in front of it with a fire extinguisher everytime hey started it. No joke!

Didn't it have a double rotor?

[clint]

Nope. It was a Sikorsky Choctaw S-58 or H-34 (depended on the service and I think the old Air-5 came from the Navy. Flew all the way to Catalina in that with doors off one time and no floatation gear.

[wwpt]

 
   Those guys stationed with Air 5 are responsible for saving more lives up here than anyone can imagine. The whole crew is a bunch of highly trained professionals in about every aspect of search and rescue. Super guys, all of them.  Many a motorist (and motorcyclist) owes their prescence to them for their impossible rescues they perform routinely all over the Southern California area, especially on the Angeles Crest Hwy. 

  Hope they're up again soon. We are so Lucky to have them stationed near here. About as close to a real Angel as you'll get.

[Janie]

When I was a fire lookout at Vetter Mt. I once watched Air 5 rescue a mountain biker on the Barley Flats Trail. The Barley Flats Trail at the time hardly deserved the designation of "trail". In reality it was crawling on your hands and knees through the ceanothus called chaparral whitethorn. Bushwhacking at its finest.

The rescue was very dramatic and the people on the ground collectively held their breath while Air 5 evacuated the person from the trail.

I loved hearing the "thump, thump, thump" of Air 5. It contrasted to the higher pitched "chop, chop, chop"  of a little USFS helicopter that was based at Chantry Flat at the time.

wwpt is right .... almost-angels of the forest watching over us. I'm glad they're there.

[K9luvr]

I've heard they have to do some work to the CalTrans Yard before it can be used.  Something about asbestos removal, etc.  Again, this is hearsay.  If anyone is in the know and has the info, I'd appreciate knowing the facts.

the Forest Service looked into trying to move E38 into the old cal trans yard by doing a long term lease and tear down the existing station as it barely fits the new engine, needs a lot of repair etc.  Well, there are problems with the house that is located at the site, a lot of rodent droppings, not up to code electrically etc.  Also the office has the old aesbestos tile flooring that would have to be removed and if I remember correctly, there was some redoing of the water system that would be required.  Needless to say, "I tried" but things just didn't follow thru.  I thought we could refurbish what we needed for a whole lot less than what it would take to rebuild E-38 station.  I just got plain wore out trying to push a wall of mud uphill....

[lagomorphmom]

I just got plain wore out trying to push a wall of mud uphill....

Yeah, but I bet your skin was soft and smooth and moisturized from all that mud, unlike out there in that nasty New Mexico dry heat, kinda makes ya wanna come back, don't it???   

[snowave]

Air 5 was back in service yesterday, but not sure where there were stationed.. It sounded like somewhere in the city.

[RobertW]

Air 5 was back in service yesterday, but not sure where there were stationed.. It sounded like somewhere in the city.

Thanks for the info.  That is certainly good news!

[snowave]

While I was out BBQ'ing some salmon tonight, (6-ish) I saw Air 5 headed to Barley Flats, so it looks like they are stationed back on the forest.