The U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Ericka Woolever spent 24 hours photographing the daily life of special mission aviators from the 56th Rescue Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy.
He demonstrated an ordinary day for HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter pilots, from the 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 56th Helicopter Maintenance Unit, at Aviano Air Base, Italy.
The Aviano Air Base, this is a NATO base in northeastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Pordenone.
The HH-60G Pave Hawk is a twin-engine medium-lift helicopter operated by Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, Air Education and Training Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command. The Pave Hawk is a highly modified version of the Army Black Hawk helicopter which features an upgraded communications and navigation suite.
The primary mission of the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter is to conduct day or night personnel recovery operations int hostile environments to recover isolated personnel during war.
All HH-60Gs have an automatic flight control system, night vision goggles with lighting and a forward looking infrared system that greatly enhance night low-level operations.
HH-60G rescue equipment includes a hoist capable of lifting a 600-pound load (270 kilograms) from a hover height of 200 feet (60.7 meters), and a personnel locating system that is compatible with the PRC-112 survival radio and provides range and bearing information to a survivor’s location.
Pave Hawks are equipped with an over-the-horizon tactical data receiver that is capable of receiving near real-time mission update information.
