One of the Marine Corps’ most iconic rescue helicopters has just received a fresh coat of paint, ensuring its legacy remains vibrant for years to come. Last week, the Aircraft Paint Shop at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) completed a detailed paint restoration on the HH-46 Sea Knight, affectionately known as “Pedro.” The aircraft has been a prominent exhibit at the Historical Aircraft Park aboard Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point since its retirement in 2015.
Pedro was originally assigned to Marine Transport Squadron 1 (VMR-1) and stood out among its peers across the Marine Corps for its primary mission: Search and Rescue. Flying in a distinctive Seaplane Gray with International Orange paint scheme, the HH-46 performed critical life-saving missions year-round, averaging over 50 rescues annually and racking up nearly 1,200 flight hours each year. It played a vital role in both military emergencies and civilian rescues along the Eastern Seaboard, earning a reputation as a reliable guardian in the skies.
Following its retirement on September 25, 2015, Pedro was preserved as a static display at Cherry Point’s Historical Aircraft Park, serving as a powerful reminder of the lives it helped save and the dedication of the Marines who flew and maintained it. To help maintain this legacy, the aircraft was recently transported to FRCE for repainting.
As an aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility, FRCE’s Aircraft Clean and Paint Shops routinely provide paint and finishing services for operational and display aircraft. Upon Pedro’s arrival, artisans from the shop carefully stripped the airframe of its aging paint, preparing the surface for a new, long-lasting finish. Their meticulous work has given Pedro a shiny, restored appearance, ready to face years of display under the North Carolina sky.
“This is such an important piece of Cherry Point’s history,” said one team member. “It’s an honor to help preserve it.” Thanks to FRCE’s skilled professionals, the freshly repainted HH-46 Sea Knight will soon return to its home at the Historical Aircraft Park, where it will continue to serve—not in flight, but as a symbol of heroism, service, and Marine Corps aviation history.
Do you have any pictures of the cockpit of the HH-46E that you could send me. I’m building a 1/5 scale flying model and would like to do a proper cockpit.
Thanks
Laura
We don’t unfortunately.
The paint scheme worn by this aircraft was never red and white, instead, the colors are Seaplane Gray with International Orange, and that is the color scheme that FRCSE has repainted with newer formula paints, to ensure better tolerance to to the elements in South Carolina.
Thanks John. Edited the article.