100 years 84° Centro SAR
On 21 May 2024, the Aeronautica Militare (ItAF, Italian Air Force) celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 84° Centro SAR at Gioia del Colle (BA), located in the southern province of Bari. Established in Venice on 5 April 1924, the then called 84° Gruppo Idrovolanti (84th Seaplane Group) became in 1937 the 84° Gruppo Ricognizione Marittima (84th Maritime Reconnaissance Group). Mostly equipped with a model seaplane, a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water.
In October 1965 the 84º Gruppo Velivoli (84th Aircraft Group) received their last seaplane and was equipped with the well known Grumman HU-16 Albatross, with a transition to their first helicopter, the Sikorsky S-61 HH-3F Pelican. After the HH-3F Pelican was decommissioned in September 2014, the present 84° Centro SAR has been operating a mix of Leonardo HH-139A and HH-139B helicopters.
The HH-139A/B is a dedicated Aeronautica Militare variant of Leonardo's successful AW139-platform. The HH-139B differs from the first batch of thirteen HH-139As by featuring a wider series of equipment and technical solutions. It is recognisable by the undercarriage, which sits lower and is the standard for the civilian AW139. It also carries a Wescam MX-15i HD multi-sensor radar under the nose section, a Trakka searchlight fitted to the left hand side of the fuselage and the presence of a dual Goodrich hoist, replacing the single one on the HH-139A model. The crew comprises two pilots, a systems and/or winch operator and an air-rescuer. But to meet other eventualities, a medical assistant or a second air-rescuer can be carried when necessary.
For the occasion, Leonardo HH-139B MM81990/15-60 (31912) was adorned with a special livery consisting of a big black duck as the fictional character Daffy Duck. This character comes back in their emblem with Daffy Duck crying into an empty red life dinghy on a mixed blue sea. Not without reason, the callsign of the 84° Centro SAR is Duffy.
Photo credit: Aeronautica Militare