SH-60F Helicopter Stanchion Progress

January 11, 2025 Aircraft Mount to the Stanchion Update

Time lapse video done by CDR Dixon, USN, PAO, NAB Coronado, Ca

The actual lift and mount of the helicopter began in three places on Saturday morning, 0730, January 11, 2025. These places included the Double Dome Hangars, Stockdale Gate to North Island and the Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE (ACB-1) at the Amphibious Base section of NAB Coronado.

A move team from HSCWINGPAC began the final move of the aircraft from the Double Dome Hangars at North Island with an Norris security escort as the aircraft was moved to the front gate, along the perimeter road to the Carrier Pier with a right turn on Rogers Road past NHA with a left turn against traffic at McCain Blvd to the VADM Stockdale truck lane to Alameda Ave, followed by a right turn down Alameda Ave to the Stockdale gate and a right turn into the inbound truck lane positioning the aircraft abeam the stanchion. The truck lane has two connections to Alameda Ave.

ACB-1 Team (Seabees} began their movement at 0730 of equipment and a 65 Ton crane from the Amphibious Base, through Coronado to the Stockdale Gate where the crane was setup in lanes 4 and 5 of the Stockdale Gate as well as the commercial truck entry lanes abeam the stanchion. The crane team was lead by ENS Tieu, EOC Ellorin, EO1 Zimmergarger and EO2 Villalon with support from EO2 Cole, EO2 Zhao, CM3 Fornaro, CM2 Albrecht, EO2 Gutierrez and EO3 Blanchard.

All aspects of the overall crane operation were conducted in accordance with the ACB-1 Crane Briefing on January 6, 2025. This briefing of the plan included all operational and safety issues dealing with this activity with safety services provided by the ACB-1 Team.

NAB Coronado Civilian Team using heavy forklifts and people closed off 4 of the 5 required inbound lanes to North Island via the Stockdale Gate for the actual lift and the commercial truck entrance and return lanes.

A final briefing was held on site with all parties involved in the lift including a Navy LCDR Matt Bettencourt, USN from HSC-3 who brought several high end drones for use during the lift. Since the base would not allow flight, the drones were positioned on 15 to 20 foot tripods which could be moved and positioned around the stanchion. These drones and their close in video were instrumental in the successful mount and were used throughout the lift process since no one could be under the helicopter for the lift.

HSCWINGPAC Civilian Maintenance Leadership, Bob Thomspon, Jeff Coskey and Whalon Hooker, AD2 Menez, HSC-6 and Chief Kayla Douglas, HSC-3 were involved in the movement, hookup of the lifting sling, leading the effort on the ground to guide location of the aircraft for the ACB-1 Crane Operator EO-2 Cole which lead to the attachment of the aircraft to the stanchion. Waylon Hooker handled the various wrenches and devices to bolt the aircraft to the stanchion with Chief Douglas running the manlift for this aspect.

Our manlift has been graciously donated throughout this event and for the last two years for various activities in restoration and aircraft maintenance in Flag Circle by Chuck Graff of Sunbelt Rentals, Inc, in San Diego.

Once the brief was complete, the H-60 sling was lifted and attached to the helicopter using pre-determined length connections which were determined in the practice lift of the aircraft on December 2, 2024. A digital magnetic level was a fixed to the top of the mount plate to assist the lift leadership in getting the plate positioned flat to the ground.

At 1100, the aircraft was lifted for the first time and lift leadership determined the aircraft mount hanging down was not quite flat and parallel to the ground so the aircraft was lowered and the sling connections were very slightly adjusted and lifted once more. After the adjustment, it was agreed that the mount hanging down was flat and parallel to the ground.

The crane operator from ACB-1 was EO-2 Cole, USN who did an outstanding job of positioning this aircraft in spite of the light wind (7-8 Knots at times) we had Saturday morning. He was very skilled with the controls and so precise many times you could not see the movement when in fact he was actually moving that aircraft. The lift strain on the crane’s gauges indicated about 16,000lbs including the H-60 lifting sling.

Over the next hour the aircraft was carefully lifted and moved over the mount and at 1147 was lowered down over the 10-1 inch 8NC threaded rods, sticking up from the stanchion in perfect alignment including the “Key” hole on the aircraft mount and “Key” threaded rod on the stanchion. Once the lift leadership was satisfied with the aircraft sitting on the mount for a full 5 minutes without movement, nearly unloaded on strain by the crane, then personnel were allowed under the aircraft to bolt it to the stanchion. This took some time since even with a manlift our folks could only reach a side at a time which then took time to move the manlift around to address the other side and remainder of the bolts. The bolts required wrenches for 10-1 5/8 inch nuts.

By 1430 the aircraft was attached and bolted to the stanchion, the crane situated for travel back to the ACB-1 command again and the main gate lanes re-opened for normal traffic.

January 10, 2025 Top of the Stanchion Aircraft Mount Update

January 6, 2025 Crane Briefing for the Stanchion Aircraft Lift Update

Click above to download crane brief.

Full one hour briefing on the proposed lift of the SH-60F on January 11, 2025 by Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE (ACB-1) at ACB-1 Command on the Amphibious Base a NAB Coronado

SH60 NASNI Lift CON brief.

December 31, 2024 Top of the Stanchion Aircraft Mount Update

Notice in the pictures the thin alum template made up which matches the mount on the aircraft. Visual indication that the mount on the bottom of the aircraft will slide over the bolts protruding from the stanchion so the lift and attachment to the stanchion of the SH-60F Helicopter scheduled for January 11, 2025 should be successful.