Helicopter Transport Wing 64
| Hubschraubertransportgeschwader 64 (Helicopter Transport Wing 64) |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
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| Active | 1966–1994 |
| Country |
 Germany
|
| Branch |
.svg){kind=small} German Air Force
|
| Type | Wing |
| Role | SAR, tactical air transport |
| Size | 120 helicopters in 1975, 39 at the time of disbanding |
| Part of | Air Transport Command Lufttransportkommando |
| Garrison/HQ | Ahlhorner Heide Air Base |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Hans-Otto Eiger (until 30 September 1993) |
Helicopter Transport Wing 64 (German: Hubschraubertransportgeschwader 64) was a wing of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). The wing was founded in 1966 and at the time of its disbanding based at Ahlhorner Heide Air Base which is situated in the southern suburbs of Ahlhorn in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Helicopter Transport Wing 64 was established at Penzing Air Base in Bavaria on 1 October 1966 when personnel and equipment of three of the Air Force's helicopter SAR and liaison squadrons as well as parts of the Pilot Training School "A" were merged. No. 1 Training, Test and Transport Squadron was based at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, No. 2 SAR Squadron was stationed at Penzing Air Base, and No. 3 SAR Squadron at Faßberg Air Base. In May 1968, No 4. SAR Squadron was formed, also based at Penzing Air Base. Until 1968 the wing flew a variety of aircraft, amongst which were helicopters of the types Bristol Sycamore, Bell 47, Piasecki H-21 and Alouette II but also Dornier Do 27 fixed-wing aircraft. From February 1968 until May 1969 the introduction of the Bell UH-1D took place, replacing all other aircraft previously flown by Helicopter Transport Wing 64. In 1968, two squadrons of the wing were redeployed to Diepholz Air Base in Lower Saxony to form the 2nd Flying Group, only to be relocated to Ahlhorn Air Base in April 1971 when Air Transport Wing 62, the previous occupant of the air base, was disbanded. Three squadrons of Helicopter Transport Wing 64 were stationed at Ahlhorn Air Base with No 1 Squadron remaining at Penzing Air Base. With the disbanding of Air Transport Wing 62 and the incorporation of some of its helicopters and personnel into Helicopte Transport Wing 64, the wing was equipped with 78 helicopters. When the air force's helicopter training school at Faßberg Air Base was closed in 1975, the task of training new helicopter pilots was for a time assigned to Helicopter Transport Wing 64 which had a flight simulator at its disposal in one of the airbase's hangars. Flight training of helicopter pilots subsequently took part at Fort Rucker, Alabama, United States. The wing also incorporated the helicopters of the former training school into its squadrons. This meant that the wing had a capacity of almost 120 helicopters. In the following years, various helicopters of Helicopter Transport Wing 64 were stationed at a number of locations in northern and central Germany to fulfil their SAR role, such as at the military hospital in Koblenz, and the airbases at Jever and Faßberg. The wing also provided helicopters for SAR centres at Rheine Air Base and Hamburg. Still stationed at Penzing Air Base, No. 1 Squadron became subordinate to Air Transport Wing 61 in 1979.
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