106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton Beach to get first helicopter training simulator in Northeast
A rendering of the combat rescue helicopter simulator building in Westhampton Beach, which will enable pilots to train for a range of conditions, from combat missions to wildfires. Credit: 106th Rescue Wing
Pilots stationed at the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton Beach will soon be able to safely train for a host of perilous conditions, as the base at Francis S. Gabreski Airport is set to become the first in the Northeast with a combat rescue helicopter simulator facility.
The Defense Department's 2025 spending plan includes $14 million in funding to purchase a simulator facility for the 106th Rescue Wing, which performs search and rescue, medical evacuations, disaster response, humanitarian assistance and deploys for domestic and overseas operations. It will enable pilots to train for a range of conditions, from combat missions in Baghdad to wildfires raging in the pine barrens.
Lt. Col. Jesse J. Fritz, chief of staff of the 106th Rescue Wing, said conducting training exercises while flying in an actual helicopter can often be a challenge, depending on weather, available staffing and maintenance.
But the simulator, Fritz said, provides an incredibly realistic mock-up of the HH-60 Whiskey helicopter used by the Rescue Wing — an aircraft similar to the UH-60 Black Hawk — with conditions and characteristics that can be reproduced with the flip of a switch.
"At any time, you can accomplish flight training in this simulator as a good opportunity to make up for flying that couldn't be accomplished in the actual airplane," Fritz said in an interview Tuesday, noting that the simulator could replace a high percentage of real-world training hours needed for pilots.
The 106th Rescue Wing would be the first Air National Guard base in the Northeast with a combat rescue helicopter simulator facility, Fritz said. The building would include an operational flight trainer, after-action debriefing room, mission planning room, office and mechanical space.
"This simulator will allow the aircrews of the 106th to hone their elite skills on the ground, eliminating unnecessary risk for aircrews and excess helicopter noise for East End residents," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who secured funding for the simulator facility. "This is a win-win that will, quite literally, propel greater achievement, safety and excellence for the 106th itself."
The simulator, Fritz said, will be able to replicate conditions, including weather, location, darkness and mechanical failures, while being able to link to other aviation units in a virtual training environment.
"In a less risky environment, you can do an engine flame out or an autorotation," he said. "All sorts of emergency procedures can be practiced in that simulator environment. ... The more opportunity we can get to give repetitions in training, the better. And this is yet another opportunity to get those reps in."
In 2018, three members of the 106th Rescue Wing were among seven service members killed when a U.S. helicopter crashed in western Iraq. The HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter was ferrying troops from Iraq to Syria and was not on a combat mission. An Air Force investigation said the crash was caused by pilot error, a poor flight plan and limited visibility.
More recently, members of the Rescue Wing responded to the March 8 wildfires in eastern Suffolk County that scorched more than 400 acres of pine barrens parallel to Sunrise Highway.
The simulator could also contribute to noise abatement for residents living near the Westhampton Beach airport, though Fritz said some training exercises must still continue in actual aircraft.
July 2024 data from the Gabreski Airport Community Advisory Board shows only a small percentage of all noise complaints were related to military aircrafts, including helicopters.
"The public is much more tolerant of military air traffic noise than private," said Westhampton Beach Mayor Ralph Urban. "The majority of our complaints stem from private jet traffic."
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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