As part of Wiscasset Field Day activities this week, the Maine Army National Guard flew a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, which landed on the Wiscasset Middle High School Soccer field in the morning. The WMHS students were allowed to tour the Black Hawk helicopter and provided an introduction to flight capabilities.
The Sikorsky helicopter costs $21 million and has a maximum speed of 211 mph, with a crew of 3-4 military personnel. The primary role is casualty evacuation (MEDEVAC). The Black Hawk Helicopters are used on Mount Katahdin, exclusively used for emergency search, medical evacuations (MEDEVAC), and ranger insertions. Because Baxter State Park lacks vehicular access to its peaks, the Maine Army National Guard operates aircraft to rescue stranded or injured hikers from treacherous areas like the Knife Edge.
CPT Ackerson, SSG Erica Davis, and WO1 Sam Whitney (2017 Wiscasset High School graduate) were part of a helicopter crew stationed at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Bangor, Maine.
A HUGE thank you to Mr. Shanon Cotta for arranging this incredible event for our students!!
