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Volume 116, Issue 1
Auxiliary Aircraft Support Coast Guard Surface Units
By Joseph Giannattasio
Coast Guard Auxiliary District Fifth Northern aircrews conduct flyovers to assess the inlets and waterways for
Coast Guard Small Boat Stations in New Jersey. These waterway assessments are conducted in order to identify
and photo-document shoaling and navigational obstructions around major inlets and the Intracoastal Waterway
(ICW).
Initiated in 2012, the Auxiliary overflights specifically focused on increasing the Coast Guard’s maritime domain
awareness. Another key benefit of the missions have resulted in better situational awareness - Coast Guard surface
units gaining observations of local waterway conditions following the winter season, after major storms, and
providing marine mammal observation data.
LCDR Noel Johnson, Commanding Officer USCG Station Atlantic City describes the benefits of these missions,
“The overflight photographs were invaluable to our crew. We conducted all hands training viewing the pictures
and discussing current shoaling and best ways to travel through certain areas. In fact, based on the pictures we
added additional restrictions to transiting through Corson Inlet. Following the winter storms we had identified that
there was increased shoaling in the inlet, but we did not know the severity until seeing the aerial shots.” LCDR
Johnson included, “The photographs possibly prevent our crews from grounding. This mission was another
example of how well the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary work together to achieve common goals.”
BMC Kristopher Knowles, Executive Officer USCG Station Cape May states, “The overflights benefit the surface
units in determining the location of shifting shoals and or sand bars. This enables us show coxswains and break-in
coxswains where the best water would be when transiting. This also benefits us in having a real picture of the
AOR so the communications watch standers get a real picture of the AOR rather than just a plain chart.”
According to Auxiliarist Bill Fithian, ADSO-AV-Training, “The information gathered from area overflights
informs the district air program’s future requirements by, for example, improving pilot familiarity with the region,
providing information on the individual capabilities of aircraft, and allowing air crews to develop and experience
new skillsets.”
BMC Knowles sums it up succinctly, “The saying that ‘pictures are worth a thousand words’ is completely fitting
for this.”
Aerial view of Corson's Inlet, NJ.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Joseph Giannattasio.