There is a very interesting letter written in to this months "Rotor and wing" by Staff Sgt. Dean Penrod, Army National Guard, Reno, Nev. who seems to have personal experience of chinooks. He says in relation to Chinooks being used for combat search-and-rescue (quote from R & W):
"While the Chinook is “heavier” than other Army aircraft, it is far from heavy when you consider power-to-weight ratio. Keep in mind the highly efficient, tandem-rotor design. There is no loss of power to a tail rotor as with the H-60. Of the Chinook’s power, 100 percent is dedicated to lift. Anybody who has crewed a Chinook or flown in formation with one knows it is fast and maneuverable. Don’t be deceived by their looks"
Judging from his comments and the video of the RAF from Afghanistan it seems that the Chinook may be old but it can still show some newer designs a thing or two!
Now how do I get to actually RIDE in one as a PPL(H)?
Ian.