Historic Glenview helicopter to get restored and refurbished

A circa 1968 Sikorsky Seaguard helicopter, once a part of Coast Guard operations at Naval Air Station Glenview and now owned by Glenview History Center, will spend at least the next three years being refurbished by Legacy Aviation Learning Center in Traverse City, Michigan.

A loan agreement between Glenview History Center and the school, which trains aviation technicians, was completed in early May. A group of Coast Guard veterans who once flew the helicopter began transporting it from Glenview to Michigan on Friday, May 22.

The Sikorsky HH-52A CGNR 1459 helicopter had been at the Museum of Science and Industry for 18 years before the Hangar One Foundation acquired it in 2006 and transported it to Glenview. The foundation’s collections, including the helicopter, were transferred to GHC in December 2025.

Learn more about the planned restoration of the historic Coast Guard helicopter