Coast Guard makes special flyover and visit to students at Central Christian School

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Students at Central Christian School in Redmond were met with a surprise at lunchtime as a helicopter with the Coast Guard made a flyover, and then landed in the playground. Students were thrilled as they got to climb in the helicopter themselves, and ask all sorts of questions.

The Coast Guard used a MH-65E helicopter. The aircraft has two jet Turbomecca engines and produces over 1000 shaft horsepower, with up to 85 mph rotorwash and a 44’ rotorspan. Officers train to be pilots and go to Navy flight school, after commissioning with a college degree and going to the Academy or Officer Candidate school. 

The aircrew in the back are enlisted personnel that consist of the flight mechanic, the aircraft mechanic who also runs the hoist and a Rescue Swimmer.

The team does inland search and rescue and use the hoist in the mountains, rivers or cities, and the rest is offshore out at sea, or cliffs, which they call vertical surface.