Antonov Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Yeah... like that: http://jalopnik.com/5665722/chinook-pilot-...then-flies-home Quote Link to post Share on other sites
C-130CrewChief Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 WOW, Those guys over there have my full respect. Stories like this are happening every minute of every day. Curt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ixgr1 Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 - Bad *** Brittish Army! (i'm impressed) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tornado64 Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 it is old news over here now , the aircraft involved bravo november is quite a famous celebrity airframe bravo november Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Julien (UK) Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 - Bad *** Brittish Army!(i'm impressed) Err... RAF actually! Was pretty amazing that the discovery guys were filiming on board at the time. Credit to all those Helo pilots in Afghanistan, they are basically Bullet & RPG magnets. I am reading "Bullet Proof" By Matt Croucher (the Marine who won the George Cross by throwing himself on a grendae booby trap) and its quite clear how much the ground troops hold the chinook pilots in awe for going into hot LZ's in those big choppers. Julien Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tornado64 Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Err... RAF actually!Was pretty amazing that the discovery guys were filiming on board at the time. Credit to all those Helo pilots in Afghanistan, they are basically Bullet & RPG magnets. I am reading "Bullet Proof" By Matt Croucher (the Marine who won the George Cross by throwing himself on a grendae booby trap) and its quite clear how much the ground troops hold the chinook pilots in awe for going into hot LZ's in those big choppers. Julien i get them quite often near my house not only big but unless you are deaf let you know their pressence well before you see them Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 (edited) Chinooks are the unsung hero's of the Afghan war. No other helo seems to have the power and lifting capacity to get the job done. It definitely sounds like the Blackhawks are not up for the job. Bravo November is a thoroughbred. Hope she makes it through the war intact and finally gets retired to a place of honor (my vote would be the Imperial War Museum). Edited October 17, 2010 by 11bee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dmanton300 Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Chinooks are the unsung hero's of the Afghan war. No other helo seems to have the power and lifting capacity to get the job done. It definitely sounds like the Blackhawks are not up for the job.Bravo November is a thoroughbred. Hope she makes it through the war intact and finally gets retired to a place of honor (my vote would be the Imperial War Museum). They may be the unsung heroes stateside, here in the UK they are simply the heroes! They have entered the national consciousness in a way I'd wager few aircraft have since world war 2. Everyone knows the Chinook these days herein blighty. I've also heard a rumour that it has led to a significant shift in emphasis for many many people entering pilot training, with the numbers now being in the region of 50% saying "fast jets" as their preferred option should they prove up to it, and the balance statingg a clear preference for the Chinook if they can get it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pbcheez Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 i spoke with a retired helicopter mechanic and he told me that when they were riding in the heli, he was glad they had hydraulic leaks cuz it meant they still had hydraulic fluid left. talk about dark humour. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The_Animal Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Sheeit. "OK Chaps, just to let you know I took a round through my front windscreen which came up and hit me in the head. I've got a bit of a crack and a bleed there." Friggin' cool as can be. My hats off to him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark M. Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Awesome video. In response to the comment about the Chinooks growing more loved in the UK, and how the Blackhawk can't replace it... What about the Osprey? I don't think the Brits have been using it but from some documentaries I've seen the V-22 has been in use in Afghanistan for a couple of years now. Clearly not the same lifting capacity, but still a large troop bay, and works well at those higher altitudes where some helicopters struggle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Julien (UK) Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 I dont think the blackhawks could replace the chinook but experience in the stan has show we really lack a helo like the blackhawk, even more so in the casevac role. Men have died as helos without winches were not availble to get them out of minefields. Julien Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 I dont think the blackhawks could replace the chinook but experience in the stan has show we really lack a helo like the blackhawk, even more so in the casevac role.Men have died as helos without winches were not availble to get them out of minefields. Julien Didn't know they were using the Chinook as a medevac helo. Seems a bit much for that mission, however, why can't they get a winch mounted? I believe that US Army special ops MH-47's have had this mounted for ages. Should not be a big project. Just curious, why are the Brit's so dependent on the Chinook? What about the Lynx, Puma and Merlin? Why aren't they being used over there? John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Julien (UK) Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Didn't know they were using the Chinook as a medevac helo. Seems a bit much for that mission, however, why can't they get a winch mounted? I believe that US Army special ops MH-47's have had this mounted for ages. Should not be a big project.Just curious, why are the Brit's so dependent on the Chinook? What about the Lynx, Puma and Merlin? Why aren't they being used over there? John On the plus side for the Chinook you can get a whole trauma team in there and this has saved lives. On the downside if you have men trapped in a minefield then the down pressure has set off the mines actually causing more casualties. Not much help in that senario even with a winch. Merlin, I am not sure why thats not being delpoyed in this role. Lynx can not carry an effective load of men + equipment when operatin hot & high. The new lynx has more powerfull engine but is heavier so stuck with the same payload problems. Puma just getting too old now. Puma will get new engines but not new gearboxes. As the current engins can not put full power through the GB hwats the point of more powefull engines?? Too be honest (and more so in times of less cash) would have been better to scrap future lynx and just by blackhawk. Main problem in the UK with helos is the bun fight between the Army & the RAF who gets them. Heavy choppers RAF, Light choppers Army. Blackhawk sits with the RAF but the Army want it, if they got Blackhawk the RAF would get more and the army probably loose some lynx. Furture Lynx is not a capable platform but the only one on offer to the Army so they took it. Pretty sad when blokes are dying becase Generals & Air marshals are arguing over who gets the assets. Really all helos need giving to one force and I pretty much dont care who. My brother and his mates are combat medics and they have to live with and pick up the pieces from this mess. Julien Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dmanton300 Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 Julien has it pretty much nailed. The Chinook is used because the space offers much more than a "dust-off" capability. If you've seen any of the film of the RAF Chinooks flying into hot zones to retrieve wounded soldiers who are immediately in advanced triage and treatment because of the MERT that only the Chinook has the space to carry it would all make sense. One thing I have taken from this mess is the superb way that all the casevac services work together to save any soldier in need. You'll find many soldiers of many nations thanking the presence of an RAF Chinook for saving their lives, just as you'll find many thanking the presence of Pedro or the French Caracals. Just different parts of a jigsaw. All saving lives 24/7. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 My brother and his mates are combat medics and they have to live with and pick up the pieces from this mess.Julien Pay my respects to your brother for me. We are lucky to have people like that in uniform. Hope he stays safe. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
B-17 guy Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 i spoke with a retired helicopter mechanic and he told me that when they were riding in the heli, he was glad they had hydraulic leaks cuz it meant they still had hydraulic fluid left. talk about dark humour. This is true. My father is a retired master crew chief, he worked on and crewed huey's and chinooks ( he always calls them sh*thooks). He was telling me a story about him and his crew were running supplies up to some artillery units. He says "you always knew you had fluid when you had leaks, well on this one trip, we noticed that this one leak stopped, maybe 5mins later a light and warning sound comes on, no oil in the (cant remember what part he said but it was important) left. So we had to to get on the ground immediatley". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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