US 'TOP SAR'

A US Coast Guard Pilot, serving on exchange with the Royal Navy Search and Rescue Squadron in Cornwall, has achieved 4,000 hours. 

Lieutenant Sean Jehu, age 39, United States Coast Guard, currently based with 771 Naval Air Squadron, has completed over 4000 hours flying during a key Instrument Rating Instructors (IRI) course. 

Sean has been serving on an exchange tour with the Royal Navy since 2011. He initially joined the US Army in 1996 as he began his flying career and moved across to the US Coast Guard in 2005. He has flown the UH-1 Huey, UH-60 Blackhawk and HH-65 Dolphin before stepping back in time to fly the venerable lady of the skies, the Sea King. 

The IRI qualification greatly enhances the skills of any aircrew enabling them to formally teach other aircrew how to operate in extreme flying conditions. Royal Navy Search and Rescue are often required to fly when many others would be grounded. His success was suitably commemorated with a glass of champagne, after he had finished his flight! 

When asked about his milestones Sean said: “My family and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to live and work in such an amazing county as Cornwall, I love this place” he added “this qualification will be recognised when I return to the States and it has put me in the Top echelon of SAR flying”. 

Sean is originally from Mechanicsburg, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA where his parents still reside. The UK and US have a well developed programme of military exchange personnel that ensures close cooperation whenever the two nations work together.