The HH-52A Sea Guardian was a derivative of the Sikorsky S-55 (H-19) helicopter, using the S-55 rotor system with only minor changes but employing a turbine engine instead of a reciprocating engine. The U.S. Coast Guard ordered 99 of these helicopters and used them for search and rescue missions as well as deployments to the Arctic and Antarctic aboard USCG icebreakers. The first S-62 flight occurred on May 22, 1958, and the first HH-52A was accepted for Coast Guard service on January 25, 1963. By the time the last HH-52A was retired 26 years later, this model had rescued more persons in distress than any other helicopter in the world. Aircraft number 1383 began its service in 1963 and made the last landing of the entire USCG HH-52A fleet on September 12, 1989, after serving 24 Coast Guard air stations in the United States.
