laststandonzombieisland

This yellow Jayhawk helicopter is the second specially painted aircraft delivered by the Coast Guard to an operational unit during the centennial celebration of Coast Guard aviation, and will operate out of the base for the next 4 years.

In a followup to USCG MH-60T #6003 arriving at Warrenton last month, the second of the two throwback uniformed Jayhawks, #6006, arrived at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City this week.

The Jayhawk helicopter is painted yellow to represent the “chrome” yellow paint scheme that Coast Guard and Navy helicopters used in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Examples include the Sikorsky HO3S-1G used from 1946 to 1955 and the Sikorsky HO4S used from 1951 to 1966.

These two aircraft are the first of the 16 centennial painted aircraft in the country. Altogether, three different Coast Guard aircraft types, including the Jayhawk and Dolphin helicopters as well as the HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane, are receiving historic paint schemes representing various eras of Coast Guard aviation.

AIRSTA Elizabeth City itself just celebrated their 75th anniversary last year.