Spent 20 years working on Chinooks, 'D's and 'E's. And a slight correction on the speed of the Chinook. It is faster than the Apache. Remember several times that we would have to slow down while flying in formation with them.
NightstalkerGW
I was a Flipper pilot (CH-47s) during 1969 in VietNam - 196th ASHC (Assault Support Helicopter Co.) Our "A" and "B" models had engines with 2750 shaft horsepower each. 2.5 hours of fuels added 4, 000 lbs. of weight. We normally could easily lift a 7, 000 pound external load. For a load approaching 10, 000 pounds, we would delay until we had burnt off 3, 000 lbs. of fuel. 112 decibels of sound in the cockpit meant I learned the joys of tinnitus since my early 20s and high frequency loss of hearing. I can not hear the blowing of a whistle or the higher notes on a piano. Instead of the strings being hit by the hammers in the piano, I hear all the sounds of the working of the mechanisms to strike those strings.
I have performed single-engine rolling takeoffs after losing an engine in a remote location and not wanting to risk staying there with a disabled machine and a target for the enemy. I have performed one engine approaches to a slow short rolling landing. The earlier model chinooks could hardly be expected to hover on one engine. I have suffered transmission failure in flight getting the aircraft to the ground just prior to total trans-box failure.
I once evacuated an entire mountain village in one sortie, over 100 souls on board, included all their livestock. Quite an aroma, even in flight. I know the current hook drivers are taught to drive it like a bus, but this aircraft is extremely capable and when needed can perform when flown as if you stole it. During the years in Afghanistan, I understood and appreciated the mighty force of the CH-47s and how they were deployed in areas of higher elevation. They are a force to be reckoned with.
davehertle
One quote I remember about the Chinook is that it doesn't fly, it just beats the air into submission
Bloodbeard-osxh
you forgot to mention how insanely skilled the pilots who flew these were.... the payload capacity was necessary for the amount of balls some of those guys had.
klumzyee
If anything is going to replace Chinooks, it's going to be an upgraded Chinook design. The strengths of their double-rotor design are too important to ignore.
terenceconnors
We used them a lot in Australia, we also have a lot of natural disasters, & Dad always used to say when the Chinooks turned up it was all going to be ok, these last floods we've had in Queensland & New South Wales, the Chinooks were back.
bjw
I spent 10 years as an aerial firefighter. (DC6/DC7 co-pilot) when they started using Chinooks for firefightng (and skycranes) game changer. now the Ch-47 is popular as they are fast, and capable of hauling up to 2500 usgal of water or retardant.
tgmccoy
Chinook is a Native American tribe and also the name of a seasonal hot wind. If you have ever walked up the tail ramp beneath two turbines exhaust in the rotor wash you realize the name is appropriate.
SuperMauserMan
Yesterday 2 chinooks landed at the national guard base near me ( 3 miles) to pick up troops for a ride to des moines, ia. I went an stood under them as the took off. Chinook mechanic . PHU bai 1971 C159 ashb. 67u20. 50 years on it was still a thrill.
kkarllwt
I'm enjoying the comments where folks are sharing that this is their favorite aircraft. Me too! I grew up on Army bases (and was an Army wife) and no matter where we were stationed, there were always Chinooks. As a kid, I assumed it was the same batch that moved with us, but hey, kids are silly. The fondness for them stayed with me and they remind me of "home". The last place we were stationed was Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia and I'd see all sorts of aircraft every day while living on base. But the Chinook is the favorite. :)
PahzWatchesYouTube
Don't forget, it was Frank Piasecki who pioneered the tandem rotor helicopter in the U.S. in the 1940s. His Vertol Helicopter Co. was eventually purchased by Boeing becoming Boeing-Vertol.
WAL_DC-B
I remember a rescue mission they did with a Chinook on Mt. Hood Oregon, where they landed the rear of the aircraft kept the front up in the air due to the angle of the mountain side while the loaded it with the stranded hikers. it was an incredible display of the pilots skill and the Chinooks outstanding stability
Graybeard
My dad flew a CH-46 (very very similar) in the Marine Corps. One of my first memories is of the day I got to wear his helmet while visiting him. It's a great photo of a very 3 year old me with the widest eyes ever seen. My dad LOVED his bird, absolutely loved it.
*Thanks for the excellent video
IrishMike
Thank you for a great documentation. I was a flight engineer on CH 47-A, D Models. 242 ASH VIETNAM. Philip black cats. Have always been proud of this aircraft and it’s roll is supporting the troops.
TheMilwaukieDan
I grew up in the Ottawa, ON Canada region, and was lucky enough to have 2 encounters with them when I was young. First was when my Cubs (Scouts) unit got to visit one at the former CFB Uplands Airforce Base. We got to get in and sit in the cockpit and it was super impressive. A year or so later I lived in a small village and during the winter Carnival one landed in the field not far from my house to the thrill of the local children! we were welcome aboard and got another tour and then got to watch it take off again. Since then I've had a soft spot for the Chinook! Thank you to the Canadian forces for those wonderful memories!!
SomeGuyFromOttawa
That single Chinook from the Falklands was Bravo November, "The Survivor" (pictured, 11:25) and is now being put up for display at the RAF Museum.
oliverpowell
I logged many hours on board CH-47 birds with the 6th Air Cavalry at Ft. Hood in the 80s. A magnificent piece of equipment. The sound of the jet engines powering up and the helicopter taking off still does something to me emotionally.
BrianMax
I'm COMPLETELY bowled over that the Chinook existed over a decade before I was born. At 43, I thought they were relatively new when I was an aware child.
WeAreTheTrueMedia
You did it a lot of justice on this one, Simon.
One of my favorite abilities of the Chinook, though, is its total flexibility. Armor? Pick a level. Range? Add extra internal fuel tanks. Weapons? Multiple machine guns, cannons, rockets, automatic grenade launchers, any direction you like.
It can land, literally, in the water.
It can also do a hybrid landing called a pinnacle where only the aft gear is grounded, meaning it can access almost any location of any size if there is air clearance around it.
And while the statistics are neat, the loading is incredible. There's no drawn-out process of attaching a load. Ready loads can be hooked midair in 30 seconds without ever landing; it's accomplished by the aircrew inside.
But, by far, the best thing is its maneuverability. Due to its tandem rotors, it's capable of moving and rotating in virtually any direction at speed. And it's slated for Block II upgrades in the near future, which I'm excited to see come to fruition.
joeywatch
Thanks for doing this man! I'm an Army Infantry vet and got to bounce around in these quite a bit. It's a beast!
