NORFOLK, Va. - When you see a U.S. Navy helicopter flying over Hampton Roads, there's a good chance the crew is part of HSC-11, The Dragon Slayers. The helicopter sea combat squadron, flying the MH-60 S chopper, is based at Naval Station Norfolk. The squadron, which traces its roots back to 1957, has been based in Norfolk since 2016.
According to the squadron's website, HSC-11 trains pilots and aircrewmen to employ the MH-60S worldwide in a variety of missions, including fleet logistics support, search and rescue, medical evacuation, special warfare support, anti-surface warfare and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief.
In honor of Women's History Month, News 3 got exclusive access to an all-female flight that took place Monday afternoon. The flight featured several female pilots, in addition to an all-female crew of mechanics and other sailors. For LTJG Jaqueline Courtney, one of the pilots involved in the flight, it was a chance to reflect on her journey as a naval aviator.
"I never felt any sort of discrimination against me for my gender, or anything like that, as I moved through flight school," Courtney tells News 3's Blaine Stewart. "That being said, sometimes as a woman, you are aware of the fact that you need to prove yourself a little bit more," she adds.
HSC-11's crews have to be ready at a moment's notice to take part in emergency rescue operations. That means mechanics, like Aviation Structural Mechanic Mel Martinez, need to make sure the helicopters are in working order. It's a job she loves doing.
"I think I've always been mechanically inclined," she said. "I remember as a kid, I would take a lot of things apart and put them back together just because I was curious, Martinez adds.
For their hard work and dedication, HSC-11 has been named News 3's Squadron of the Month for March 2023.
News 3 photojournalist Stefan Grimsley contributed to this report.
