Fortune by name, fortunate by nature.

[pohm1]

Link

If half true, it's amazing. Hats off....

P1

[airborne_artist]

battled with the controls to stop the chopper from spiraling out of control

I think that phrase is compulsory in all news reports of this type.

BZ to all, though there was another pilot next to the brave Flt Lt who may have done a bit?

[fallmonk]

Lucky man !
Think he should put a lotto ticket on ;-)

[Ken Scott]

It says something when the Sun (aka 'Aircrew Times') is more accurate than the Telegraph in reporting the Chinook as an RAF helicopter rather than as army. In the bunfight about defence spending it doesn't help that the RAF's invisible, just flying its Typhoons about while the real work is done by the 'army' (ie: everyone dressed in brown in Afghanistan).

Still, 'hats off' indeed to Flt Lt Fortune RAF for a job well done, with or without his co-pilot's help - surely a gong would be appropriate, a VC perhaps?

[Two-Tone-Blue]

I wondered how long before someone said "VC" ...

The Victoria Cross is awarded for ... most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy

The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded for ... an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy".

My money is firmly on the DFC.

Well done Flt Lt Fortune ... and all your crew.

[Agaricus bisporus]

I wonder how many (dozens of) squaddies have driven their vehicle miles from the scene with severe bullet or shrapnel wounds (and without the benefit of a co-pilot to do it for them) - no one offers them VCs.

Where's the difference?

A medal, sure, but VC???

[airborne_artist]

I wonder how many (dozens of) squaddies have driven their vehicle miles from the scene with severe bullet or shrapnel wounds (and without the benefit of a co-pilot to do it for them) - no one offers them VCs.

From Private Beharry's VC citation:

"While his head remained out of the hatch, to enable him to see the route ahead, he was directly exposed to much of this fire, and was himself hit by a 7.62mm bullet, which penetrated his helmet and remained lodged on its inner surface. Despite this harrowing weight of incoming fire Beharry continued to push through the extended ambush, still leading his platoon until he broke clean."

[NutLoose]

Not wanting to degrade anything and those that think he should get a VC, but, Self preservation also had to have something to do with "battling the controls"
In the case of the Soldier, he didn't have to, but did. The part of Private Beharrys action you didn't quote which was beyond what would be expected probably was

Once he had brought his vehicle to a halt outside, without thought for his own personal safety, he climbed onto the turret of the still-burning vehicle and, seemingly oblivious to the incoming enemy small arms fire, manhandled his wounded platoon commander out of the turret, off the vehicle and to the safety of a nearby warrior.

He then returned once again to his vehicle and again mounted the exposed turret to lift out the vehicle's gunner and move him to a position of safety. Exposing himself yet again to enemy fire he returned to the rear of the burning vehicle to lead the disorientated and shocked dismounts and casualties to safety. Remounting his burning vehicle for the third time, he drove it through a complex chicane and into the security of the defended perimeter of the outpost, thus denying it to the enemy.

But either way, bloody good on him, he deserves what ever they bestow on him.

[Dogwatch]

Well done that man.

[vecvechookattack]

This has got VC written all over it.

Is it.....

A) devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy

or is it.....

B) extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy


B gets my vote....... It may have been A if he had handed control to the other pilot but seeing as though he

More bullets followed, hitting the Chinook's controls and shutting down the stabilisation system.

But with blood pouring into his eyes, Flt-Lt Fortune battled with the controls to stop the chopper from spiraling out of control

Then with the aircraft lurching from side to side he continued flying for eight minutes before landing at Camp Bastion.

.....

Stab out IMC..!!!!! Give him a VC

[Bob Viking]

VC or DFC

Either way, nicely done Behemoth!!
BV

[SCAFITE]

Bravo November

According to some of the forums the airframe was Bravo November, if it is, one lucky aircraft. Well done to all involved.

(Edited) according to Sky News it is Bravo November

Chinoook Pilot Shot Between The Eyes Manages To Fly Casualties To Safety: Ian Fortune Afghanistan | World News | Sky News

[Ken Scott]

There is precedent - a WW2 bomber pilot was hit in the face (by fire from the rear gunner of another bomber so not strictly the enemy), remained at the controls (with the Flt Eng's help as he was lapsing in & out of conciousness) & got the ac home - he got a posthumous VC.

Besides, a Merlin pilot got the DFC for something similar without being hit, so I believe he deserves something more.

[soprano54]

Ian 'Lucky' Fortune

Well to my knowledge that's two of his nine lives he's used up! The first one was trashed involving the harness and ejector seat handle on a pax trip in the back of a Jag ISTR!!!

[Bob Viking]

The Behemoth

He probably lost another one just trying to squeeze into the back seat in the first place!
How's things Soprano? Life treating you kindly?
BV

[Two-Tone-Blue]

Hi, Soprano54 - your Air Wing speaking

Back to the Topic ...

VC or DFC, isn't it? Or is it a CGC?

Conspicuous Gallantry Cross ... Awarded in recognition of acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy

whichever, the mate did a fantastic job. Massive respect.

Warned off for ground fire, but went in to get the cas anyway. Superb commitment to the task. DFC, no question, just like Flt Lt "OMG you're cute".

However ... as has been noted earlier, flying the beast home with the cas [despite being severely wounded and with 'BN' being somewhat perforated] isn't quite the same as ... what Nutloose said.

I don't like the self-preservation aspect, because he was preserving others as well. But it's not charging a pill-box single-handed. Sorry.


All that said, it was ... [a] forking courageous to go in [b] forking brave to stay there with incoming, and [c] a fine feat of airmanship to get out at the end of it.

[wokkawarrior]

Gold DFC? think one of these would fit the bill
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross

[soprano54]

@ BV, yes mate are you still at that windy place in Wales? @ TTB of course and see you over in the 'Hide' on ARRSE for a beer!

[mr fish]

on a related note, check out SABURO SAKI's ww2 history.

attacking what he thought was a wildcat, turned out to be a avenger and was subsequently hit in the head by the grumman's rear gunner.

a round hit him in the head and lodged in his brain.
after a 4+ hour agonising return flight back to base and what was no doubt a perilous landing, said round was removed WITHOUT pain relief!!!


AVIATORS.....a breed apart

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Been away from RAF Chinooks for a while - do you still have WSOs/Navigators in the LHS sometimes? If so it might answer the questions some of the above have had about the presence/utility of a copilot.

Having said that, more than half the navs I flew with were perfectly capable of flying the aircraft (ISTR some could do a better job than some of the pilots).