Aerospace Museum of California

The first phase of the USCG EXHIBIT at the Aerospace Museum of California was completed with the dedication of the permanent exhibit on August 9, 2008. Over 150 people witnessed the ribbon cutting, which included speeches by MAJ GEN (ret) James Hopp, President, Aerospace Museum of California, RADM John Currier, Commander of the 13th Coast Guard District and the last Coast Guard pilot still on active duty to fly the venerable HU-16, CAPT (ret) Paul Langlois, the Vice President of the Coast Guard Aviation Association, and CAPT (ret) Jerry Mohlenbrok, Senior USCG EXHIBIT Team Leader.  

The visitor to the exhibit experiences an overhead projected rescue by an H-65 helicopter, and can view four video screens showing Coast Guard Aviation history, current operations, future resources, and a donor’s honor roll. In addition, an Apple iMac computer allows the visitor to view the development of the helicopter, which the Coast Guard pioneered as a tool for Search and Rescue. The museum’s HU-16 was meticulously restored by Coast Guard volunteers recently and is in the airpark.

TEAM USCG EXHIBIT thanks all our donors for giving so generously! We are still raising funds for the USCG EXHIBIT for upgrades and upkeep, and we could use your help for the next phase of the exhibit. Please donate on the Aerospace Museum of California website or on a form available in the gift shop… donors will be recognized by adding their names on the donor’s honor roll. Please designate your donation “To the USCG EXHIBIT”.   

For the exhibit’s next phase, TEAM USCG EXHIBIT plans to add large scale aircraft models, historical documents and artifacts, and Search and Rescue video games.