Coast Guard Air Station Salem

Coast Guard Air Station Salem was a United States Coast Guard air station located in Salem, Massachusetts. Its area of coverage extended from New York City to the Canadian border.

Mission
The air station's missions included search and rescue, law enforcement, counting migratory waterfowl for the U.S. Biological Survey and assisting icebound islands by delivering provisions.

Operations
Coast Guard Air Station (CGAS) Salem was located on Winter Island in Salem, Massachusetts at 42.52639°N, -70.86861°W.

History
With little room to expand at Gloucester, a new air station was established at Salem in 1935. Salem CGAS as it became to be known was built with a barracks, hangar, a tarmac, and a ramp.

In 1950, Air Detachment Quonset Point, Rhode Island was established as a sub unit of Air Station Salem. During the 1950s, helicopters were introduced with a great deal of success as a rescue platform.

With the development of the HH-52A, an amphibious helicopter, the need for a flying boat was lessened. Therefore, air stations having only water landing capabilities, such as Salem, were phased out. It was eventually replaced by Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod in 1970. The station's surviving facilities are part of Salem's Winter Island Marine Park.

On JULY 16, 1952 - At 09:35 A.M., the witness, Shell Alpert, took a photograph of four roughly elliptical blobs of light in formation through the window of his photographic laboratory. Alpert was a Coast Guard seaman assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Salem. This photo has appeared numerous times in the Salem (MA) Evening News. Finally, the case was considered "unexplained" by Project Blue Book.