View Full Version : Wokka over the City?
gravity victim
15th Jan 2002, 19:19
Gentlemen,
Please excuse this civvy intrusion, but I have just been awakened from a refreshing post-lunch snooze at my desk by a mighty noise - which turned out to be a Chinook proceeding quite low, and very slow, north-south over the middle of the City of London. A fine sight it was too. Can anyone assuage my curiosity?
Junglie
15th Jan 2002, 21:19
Yeah it was probably lost
gravity victim
15th Jan 2002, 21:43
:)
Saab Dastard
15th Jan 2002, 23:16
GV,
I saw a chinook at about 14:30 in Twickenham, low and slow ain't in it!
It descended over the grounds of Kneller Hall (army school of music) to about 5-6 ft, but no-one got in or out. This is about 100 yards from my house
It then turned in the hover directly towards my house and (just) clearing the trees, passed overhead at less than 80 ft. on its way south.
Bear in mind that the approach to 27L at LHR, 4 miles away, passes almost overhead Kneller hall, his clearance must have been interesting - "cleared to Kneller Hall for touch and go, not above 100 feet"!
Cool :)
I too am curious to know what it was doing!
SD
STANDTO
15th Jan 2002, 23:59
a. is it anyones business?
b. Do you think you'll get a reply here?
tony draper
16th Jan 2002, 00:11
A cargo of Alpine horns for the Music school perchance. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
gravity victim
16th Jan 2002, 01:28
Standto,
There you are, a perfectly sensible explanation in quick time. Thank you, Mr Draper,I should have come to you in the first place. And now we had better flee from these grumpy military folk and hide once more in the thickets of Jet Blast.. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
Ed Winchester
16th Jan 2002, 03:48
Gravity victim,
Unless Stand To's profile is arse or we have suddenly sent a peacekeeping force of military police to the Isle of Man (DEVIANTS), then he is not a 'grumpy military type'.
However, I am. Now ****** off back down to Jet Blast (and don't forget to check out my interesting algae facts). <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
Blacksheep
16th Jan 2002, 04:43
Gosh! Two sighting reports of low flying military helicopters in London. Accurate estimates of course and height. Who says the Royal Observer Corps are out of business? <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
**********************************
Through difficulties to the cinema
ShyTorque
16th Jan 2002, 04:47
We should all celebrate that they got one serviceable... :)
STANDTO
16th Jan 2002, 22:51
ED,
How did you get it to type ARSE without it typing AR$% or something similar.
By the way, which bit of deviants were you referring to? My occupation or place of residence? Either way, you are probably right.
I am up front about what I do for a living, but was with HMRAF many years ago. I sometimes suspect that some posters aren't quite what they claim to be.
Ar83 Ar&3 **** - gosh this is great....
[ 16 January 2002: Message edited by: STANDTO ]</p>
Ed Winchester
17th Jan 2002, 01:00
STANDTO,
It's great isn't it - you can type arse, but you can't type S****horpe!!!!
You are right - there are a lot of Walter Mittys around, and also a lot of sh|t-stirrers, but it all adds to the enjoyment!
However, I think gravity victim was just genuinely interested in what he saw, not worried about how his taxes were being spent!!
Thirteen-Twelve
17th Jan 2002, 01:41
Wokkas over London is nothing new, every now and then you see them.
I doubt that they are CAPing!
gravity victim
17th Jan 2002, 03:07
Ed W,
Thanks, indeed there was no ulterior/sinister motive to my original question, like many I watch the RAF with admiration from outside and I would much rather that you guys had my tax money, than the incredible spending by HMG of £100 million on lawyers for that pointless Bloody Sunday enquiry, just to appease the IRA. Whoops, politics, Danny will be after me.
I had a ride in a wokka once, good fun experience but Christ alone knows what keeps them up there and why the rotors don't bang together..... <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
Talking Radalt
17th Jan 2002, 03:13
...It's all done with mirrors and smoke effects. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
nosefirsteverytime
17th Jan 2002, 03:34
Gravva, for shame......
Sorry for not letting dogs lie but....
It's a bit unsensitive to call it pointless. It's better than leaving the residents to start protests for an enquiry only for it to turn ugly....
Aanyways, back to WOKKA'S! Seen a Yank one in Galway city coming in for a landing, bloody impressive!
:)
Talking Radalt
17th Jan 2002, 05:39
OK Grav Vic, you asked politely enough and have been met with nothing more than typical aircrew sarcasm so here goes, after all it's no big secret....
All rotary crews are always on the look out for unusual or challenging HLS to shoot an approach to, just to keep their hand in and to keep themselves on their toes; likewise negotiating a transit through the London heli-lanes. Virtually all military installations have an HLS, even in London and these tend to be the really interesting ones, plus the crew get to see the Smoke.
The London Eye is the second best view of the city.
As for the 5-6' hover thing, it saves leaving rather unsightly divots in the grass for no reason, especially at this damp time of year, after all if you can make it to within six feet you're pretty much there.
Hope that satisfies your curiousity as much as your positive comments satisfy our need to feel wanted.
gravity victim
17th Jan 2002, 16:15
TR,
Thanks, appreciated.
So Draper's theory, that it was an emergency delivery of Alpenhorns to the music school is now totally shot down, his PPrune guru status is now badly dented - I shall proceed to his Jetblast lair and take him to task forthwith. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
And an open invitation to the wokka world, if anybody wants to shoot an approach onto my office roof, I will be up there with a crate of beer and our comeliest secretaries to dispense it. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Helmut Visorcover
17th Jan 2002, 21:43
Send grid, GV?
attackattackattack
18th Jan 2002, 13:40
Helmut
My Office:
Grid TQ 2937 8136
Dare you <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
gravity victim
18th Jan 2002, 14:29
Helmut,
Accept no inferior invitations! Shelley,Sue,Sophie,Antonina, Alison and Emma are on standby. Lat'n long to follow when I get some batteries for the Garmin. Heineken OK?
GV
Rude C'man
18th Jan 2002, 21:22
ok the gauntlet is down , come on boys let us see who gets there first ! Who will it be Wokka, french plastic cr@p , or bigger plastic cr@p. The decsion is yours! Photo as evidence to be posted on theis forum please,
STANDTO
19th Jan 2002, 23:31
Can almost hear the career end interviews now
grundog
20th Jan 2002, 22:08
It was a CH47 out of Odiham, 27 Sqn I believe. Cadets on board who were most impressed with London by air. Cadets were from a Devon Sqn. Can't believe someone just didn't answer the original question its hardly a national secret!
Chinook
21st Jan 2002, 09:44
The Australian Chinooks are interested also ... does your office have a down under branch we may visit said secretaries and drink VB at?. . <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
gravity victim
21st Jan 2002, 16:17
I'm not sure that I could risk unleashing our secretaries on a bunch of cadets,they would probably eat them alive! Still, I guess that they would die happy... :)
[ 21 January 2002: Message edited by: gravity victim ]</p>
attackattackattack
21st Jan 2002, 21:15
Hey GV - lets cut out the middleman, you can introduce the girlies to me <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
(We wouldn't like to get the twin rotor fraternity into trouble for illegal overflights now would we!)
gravity victim
23rd Jan 2002, 19:26
Great office excitement to report!
We've just had a bloody great Merlin squatting pretty much over the office roof, the girls were gearing up to give their all, the beer was coming out of the fridge, the camera was being got ready to record the winner of the bet...and it ******ed off. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
It has now dawned on me that we are very close to the TA centre at Bunhill Fields which must be an HLS...
I heard that a chinook can only fly for 45 mins at a time. Is this true or a load of borrox.????
Talking Radalt,. .chinooks regularly used to fly at chimney pot height over my house and then land on the best pitch at my rugby club 300yds away. groundsman not a happy chappy.. .Fos :) :)
Bright-Ling
23rd Jan 2002, 20:49
Chinook flying for 45 mins max?!?!?
Yep - borrox was a good word.
(I am talking fuel limitations of course: Serviceability wise...well on a good day...!!!!)
Dunhovrin
23rd Jan 2002, 21:17
GV,
When the mighty beast arrives you should brief your gurlies that the best lovers on the helicopter are the ones with just one-wing on their chests. Crewmen always make better lovers...because they always come second.
Chinook
24th Jan 2002, 01:47
Dunhovrin,
Thats not what I heard ...
What they want is a little Antipodean Chinook driver to be getting on with ...
email available on request ladies ...
<img src="cool.gif" border="0">
Ok, just out of interest now, whats the range of the thing.???
Performance at 50,000 lb: SL cruise: 143 kn. . .Rate of climb: 1,522 ft/min. . .Range: SL and ISA, 230 nmi.
<a href="http://www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/ch47d/ch47dspec.htm" target="_blank">http://www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/ch47d/ch47dspec.htm</a>
[ 24 January 2002: Message edited by: ORAC ]</p>