Object ID# 2019.1.16. The OH-6A featured on this CBP commemorative challenge coin is the same aircraft pictured on the plaque, aircraft #N5475A.
The CBP History Program Office does not collect many plaques and awards, which can easily take up a lot of space and rarely be studied or displayed. Occasionally, though, a plaque memorializes something special in a unique way. This “OH-6A Final Flight” plaque commemorates an important occasion in CBP aviation history, earning a place among our Heritage Assets.
OH-6 Cayuse model single engine, light helicopters made their reputation during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Nicknamed “Loach,” based on the acronym LOH for light observation helicopter, their shape also gave rise to the more descriptive “Flying Egg.”
The U.S. Border Patrol received its first Army hand-me-down OH-6 in 1979, eventually building a fleet of 42 stationed along the southwest border. The Border Patrol modified these aircraft to meet the new civilian mission by upgrading the engine, wiring and electronics, adding night vision capability.
After the Border Patrol became a part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2003, the OH-6A continued to serve on the border for another eight years under CBP’s Office of Air and Marine. These aviation workhorses were replaced by the end of 2011 with newer turbine-powered A-Stars that offered enhanced sensors and communications.
The OH-6A has not disappeared. Visitors to the National Border Patrol Museum in El Paso, Texas can climb aboard a restored “Flying Egg” donated by CBP and flown to the Museum on September 18, 2011, shortly before the fleet was retired.
Object ID# 2019.1.16 Wooden base with a picture of a helicopter, explanatory text on an engraved metal plate, and 3 attached challenge coins commemorating OH-6A Final Flight, July 1979-October 2011.
Size: 38cm x 30.3cm
Full Text of Plaque: OH-6A Final Flight July 1979 – October 2011 The Hughes OH-6 Cayenne, nicknamed “Loach” after the acronym LOH (Light Observation Helicopter), is a single engine light helicopter with a four-bladed main rotor. These aircraft were developed and built by Hughes Tool Company in 1963. The U.S. Border Patrol received its first OH-6 in the summer of 1979. The OH-6 was used primarily as an observation helicopter for tracking and supporting agents on the ground. These aircraft continued their service under the Office of Air and Marine, protecting our Nation’s borders until their retirement on October 20, 2011. Michael C. Kostelnik Assistant Commissioner Office of Air and Marine