Baylander (IX-514) facts for kids
_Pensacola-based_Navy_Helicopter_Landing_Trainer_(HLT)_IX-514_transports_a_TH-57_helicopter_from_NAS_Whiting_Field.jpg)
Baylander while it was stationed at NAS Whiting Field, Florida
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States |
|
| Name | YFU-79 |
| Owner | United States Navy |
| Awarded | 1 June 1967 |
| Builder | Pacific Coast Engineering Alameda, California |
| Yard number | 238 |
| Laid down | 28 December 1967 |
| Launched | 29 May 1968 |
| Acquired | 5 July 1968 |
| United States |
|
| Owner | United States Army |
| Acquired | May–June 1970 |
| Out of service | mid-1980s |
| United States |
|
| Name | Baylander (IX-514) |
| Owner | United States Navy |
| Acquired | mid-1980s |
| In service | 31 March 1986 |
| Stricken | 15 December 2011 |
| Identification | Call sign: NHLT |
| Status | Privately owned; science outreach for Billion Oyster Project; moored at West Harlem Piers, New York |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | YFU-71-class lighter |
| Tonnage | 160 DWT |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Beam | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Draft | 7.5 ft (2.3 m) |
| Installed power | 2 × 450 hp (340 kW) Detroit Diesel 12V-71 |
| Propulsion | 2 × propellers |
| Speed | 9 knots (10 mph; 17 km/h) |
| Complement | 2 officer, 10 enlisted |
| Aviation facilities | Helo deck (no hangar) |
The Baylander (officially known as IX-514) is a special ship. It used to be a Helicopter Landing Trainer (HLT) for the United States Navy. People even called it the world's smallest aircraft carrier! Its main job was to help helicopter pilots practice landing safely. Pilots from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard all trained on it.
The Baylander's Journey
The Baylander started its life in 1968. It was first called YFU-79 and worked for the United States Navy. It even served during the Vietnam War. After a few years, around 1970, it began working for the United States Army.
When the Vietnam War ended, the YFU-79 was moved to Guam. In the mid-1980s, it returned to the Navy. That's when it got a big makeover! It was turned into a Helicopter Landing Trainer. This new job started on March 31, 1986, at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida.
A Ship of Many Landings
The Baylander became incredibly good at its new job. By August 2006, it had helped pilots make 100,000 helicopter landings without a single accident! That's a huge number of safe landings. By the time it retired, it had helped with over 120,000 landings.
In 2011, the Baylander was taken out of service. Instead of being taken apart, it was sold to private owners. In 2014, it moved to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Marina in New York City. For a while, it was even a museum ship where people could visit.
By 2016, the Baylander moved again. It found a new home at the West Harlem Piers on the Hudson River. As of 2020, this unique ship serves as a restaurant and bar. It also helps with the Billion Oyster Project, which works to restore oyster reefs in New York Harbor.
Ship Details
The Baylander was built by Pacific Coast Engineering (PACECO) in Alameda, California. It is about 125 feet (38 m) long. That's roughly the length of four school buses! It is also 36 feet (11 m) wide. When it's fully loaded, it weighs about 380 long tons (386 t). Its special helicopter deck was the same size as the decks on larger frigate ships.
- Photo gallery of Baylander (IX-514) at NavSource Naval History
