Up, up and away: Kirtland Air Force Base says farewell to Pave Hawk helicopter

The blades of the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter sliced through the air at Kirtland Air Force Base on Tuesday, raising the helicopter into the air for the final flight before retirement. As the chopping sounds of the helicopter filled the air, Kirtland 58^th Special Operations Wing personnel, waved to the aircraft as it lifted into the sky for the last time before piloting in the era of the HH-60W, also known as Jolly Green II.

“It’s a big deal,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Simpson of the 512th Rescue Squadron. “A lot of these guys have deployed on these aircrafts so it’s a little bittersweet saying goodbye ... but we know we’ve got a new aircraft coming.”

The decision to retire Pave Hawks was made by the Pentagon nearly 18 years ago as part of an overall aircraft recapitalization effort. The aircraft was retired due to aging inventory and to keep up with rapidly advancing aircraft technology. Due to the nature of missions the Pave Hawks went on, the aircraft went through a significant amount of damage throughout the years.

The Pave Hawk, a modified version of the original Army Black Hawk, primarily functioned as a search-and-rescue helicopter, swooping in to save military personnel on the ground during battle.

“The first Pave Hawk helicopter arrived at Kirtland Air Force Base in 1990, and has completed roughly 40 rescue missions within the state and thousands out of state,” Will Witherow, 58th Special Operations Wing representative, said in a statement to the Journal. “The helicopter graduated over 1,773 pilots, 525 flight engineers, 377 aerial gunners, 678 Special Missions Aviators.”

Witherow added, “6,518 HH-60G crew members completed refresher training on the 58th Special Operation Wing’s simulator assets.”

During the Gulf War’s Operation Desert Storm, the helicopter was used on search-and-rescue missions and provided emergency evacuation support during the liberation of Kuwait. The 512th Rescue Squadron deploys from the helicopter with two pilots and two pararescue members in the back to aid in rescue missions.

“We’ve got the ability to do air refueling, which is something pretty unique to the Air Force helicopters,” Simpson said. “It basically gives us unlimited range based on what the crew can handle for an entire day, so we go pretty far and we can go deeper in search and rescue to go pick up people. It was a great mission, probably one of the best that the Air Force has to offer.”

Though the helicopter may be retiring, the crew still has more work to do. The group will transfer to the Jolly Green II, an aircraft that serves the same function as the Pave Hawk but with additional features. The Jolly Green II will remain stationed at Kirtland, along with its crew.

“They’re an upgrade,” Simpson said about the Jolly Green II. “New rider system, new hoist, a little bit faster as well and there’s some new flight controls as well.”