HH-3F Pelican

A variant of the “Jolly Green Giant” employed by the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam for combat search and rescue, the HH-3F Pelican differed in its nose-mounted radar and watertight fuselage that allowed for water landings.  The aircraft on display outside Hangar Bay One as part of the Coast Guard Aviation exhibit was the last operational HH-3F and made its final flight in 1994, completing 22 years of operational service.  Its most notable mission occurred in the waters off Sitka, Alaska, on December 10, 1987, when the helicopter’s crew braved heavy seas and hurricane-force wind gusts to rescue a father and son from their sinking boat.  All of the rescuers received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their skilled airmanship and bravery.