CGAS Los Angeles missions included search and rescue, homeland security, and environmental protection. About 200 search and rescue missions were flown from CGAS Los Angeles each year. Homeland security was also an important mission of CGAS Los Angeles. Helicopters from the base patrolled the west coast of the United States from Dana Point to Morro Bay. The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach also lied within the station's patrol area. CGAS Los Angeles also patrolled the over water approach and departure corridors for the Los Angeles International Airport.
History
CGAS Los Angeles was founded in August 1962 through the combined efforts of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel, and U.S. Representative James Roosevelt. An air detachment with one Sikorsky HO4S helicopter was transferred from Coast Guard Air Station San Diego. The Air Station was officially commissioned on November 15, 1962 with two HO4S helicopters, nine officers and 20 enlisted personnel. of USCG Los Angeles over LAX in 1973 In May 1963, the unit switched to three HH-52A "Sea Guard" helicopters. These helicopters were flown for 24 years. In July 1984, these helicopters were used during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The complement of HH-52 helicopters nearly doubled at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles during the Olympic Games. In the 1972 TV drama series Emergency!, an episode titled "Trainee" saw a man fell off a cliff in Palos Verdes. A CG 1375 helicopter medicvaced the injured man to Rampart General Hospital. The Sea Guard helicopters were replaced in November 1987 with four MH-65C. In November 2012, CGAS Los Angeles celebrated its fiftieth golden anniversary of service by inviting elected officials, including the Mayor of Los Angeles, members of U.S. Congress representing the State of California and representatives from L.A. City & County Fire Departments. In September 2016, CGAS Los Angeles was closed when the lease on the existing facility at Los Angeles International Airport ended. Administratively, its component units were relocated to Naval Air Station Point Mugu in Point Mugu, California and merged with/became a satellite of the Coast Guard Air Station in San Francisco. This allowed LAX to accommodate the planned improvements for LAX's midfield, including the Midfield Satellite Concourse North terminal.
