Wanna see my Wokka
 

Nice to see the Co-Pilot gets all the glamour jobs :D

"designed for movement of troops and equipment both internally in the large cabin space but also externally on the hooks you'll see underneath the aircraft"


Does that not get awfully draughty for the external troops hanging on the hooks? :{


:E

A bit yes.....but think how quickly they can disembark!

True... You could always put them in a load net but we better not go there..

Did he get the display slot because he [B]owns [B] a black flying suit; because he can fit into one; or because he's a good pilot and they made him wear it?

CG

I'm sure he could do bold on Pprune too!

I wouldn't call the forward jettison-able bubble hatch a door either, unless its to disembark the the 7 dwarves, Gollum and the Hobbits...


On a serious note, hope they have a great RIAT, should be a scorcher..

My torture with the wokka,

I was a Ground Engineer during GW1 and, as luck would have it had been allocated to an SF crew who were to "spearhead" the FARP (Forward Airhead Refuelling Point) as an SF tactic to range extend the Chinook for insertion of "the lads" into the nastier parts of Iraq. Prior to deployment to a nice warm climate, we, as a crew, were to go to RAF Stafford to be briefed on the equipment and how to use it. No probs we thought, but then, we hadn't reckoned with the "legendary" RAF sense of humour. We were to be given a lift from the top secret Wiltshire transport base, to RAF Stafford in a Chinook, laid on by 7 (SF) Squadron. On hearing the news we all went slightly pale and searched our almanacs of excuses for a reason not to be available for the forthcoming vibrate to the midlands.

All was well though, despite getting us on the beast, and strapped in, during start it did not perform as required. The Pilot declared it knackered, and our Flight Engineer suggested we travelled by car instead. We did as he suggested, and, to prove that we survived the threat of becoming airborne in such an "unnatural vibrational clatterbug", I am here to repeat the tale.

Full respect to the men who man this mighty Goliath of the world of coriolis, those who defy the laws of nature and deny the right of bad luck to exist. I'm just grateful I evaded the opportunity to experience its magnificence.

Smudge :eek:

Shame, you'd have loved it!

The Wokka was the finest helicopter I ever had the pleasure to fly....she was fast, strong, dependable, and always got me home....even with big bits gone missing....oil and hydraulic fluid leaking or misting all about....an engine dead....gearbox chips....and large bullet holes through many places.....and on one occasion burning merrily in the cockpit from a raging fire fed by the Utility Hydraulic system after a .51 Cal round removed a pedal from under my foot.

We abused her....we worked her to death....we bent her....we twisted her hauling loads way too heavy....but she never let us down.

She wasn't pretty....she was not sleek....but she was honest and faithful....what more can a Man ask?

Think back to how BN showed her stuff in the Falklands.....what more can you ask of a real Queen of the Skies?

SAS,

Sounds almost like a Whole Lotta Rosie!!! :ok:

??? :ooh:

Did the Brits stretch their Wokkas when they did the MkII mod??? :ok:

'My torture with the wokka,

I was a Ground Engineer during GW1 and, as luck would have it had been allocated to an SF crew who were to "spearhead" the FARP (Forward Airhead Refuelling Point) as an SF tactic to range extend the Chinook for insertion of "the lads" into the nastier parts of Iraq. Prior to deployment to a nice warm climate, we, as a crew, were to go to RAF Stafford to be briefed on the equipment and how to use it. No probs we thought, but then, we hadn't reckoned with the "legendary" RAF sense of humour. We were to be given a lift from the top secret Wiltshire transport base, to RAF Stafford in a Chinook, laid on by 7 (SF) Squadron. On hearing the news we all went slightly pale and searched our almanacs of excuses for a reason not to be available for the forthcoming vibrate to the midlands.

All was well though, despite getting us on the beast, and strapped in, during start it did not perform as required. The Pilot declared it knackered, and our Flight Engineer suggested we travelled by car instead. We did as he suggested, and, to prove that we survived the threat of becoming airborne in such an "unnatural vibrational clatterbug", I am here to repeat the tale.

Full respect to the men who man this mighty Goliath of the world of coriolis, those who defy the laws of nature and deny the right of bad luck to exist. I'm just grateful I evaded the opportunity to experience its magnificence.

Smudge'

Poof!!

It is a great piece of kit and you would have loved telling those who haven't have the opportunity about it...

G

Agree with gijoe

An awesome piece of kit. The one time I rode on the back of the ramp,
legs dangling, superb :ok:

I ducked a low level ramp ride on one from mount kent. Always thought two spinning rotors looked like a disaster waiting to happen. In hindsight I wish I'd have taken it. The look on the faces of those who did when they got back told me all i needed to know.

AR1- Exactly!

Day, night, lights on, lights off, under wires, they are a perfect example of procurement fit for purpose...software faff aside.

Pax'd it, flown it (not for job), shot the gun out of the door...they are ace and the display done at places like RIAT is a superb demonstration of ability.

G

Did the lakes low level riding the ramp, yacht hopping and giving them the bird... Amongst other trips.. :p

I remember the "Cresta Run" down South being particular fun :ok:

Was that a pink wristwatch the co was wearing...........:O

That reminds me; just for interest, does anyone know what happened with the 8 "Special" Chinooks last heard of (to me) in the West Country being fitted out by a contractor following another classic procurement disaster by MoD?

Did they ever get into service? If so, did they fulfil expectations?

Did the total cost of the exercise ever come into public knowledge?

From an 18 Sqn ground crew member who spent 4 years flying to and from deployments, one air show at Verlouse?, and as one of the rotor tuners flying around Germany, Falklands and Gulf 91, a ramp trip during a flight to help during the relief operation in Turkey and finally we had a aircrew ground crew exercise that included navigation exercises, flour bombing moving landrovers, trying to touch eggs with the RH rear tyre without breaking them, and other than the odd 'playfull' pilot during a couple of rotor tune sorties I had the time of my life flying in the Chinook.

My wife even had a flight in one for which we still have the certificate, I could not resist when an 18 Sqn aircraft popped in to St Athan and treated a load of us to a trip down the coast and back (last time I had the opportunity to use my flying kit before being told to hand it back in).

But watching the display flying these days it scares the life out of me as I did not know that it was capable of being thrown around like that, again it still makes smile when I see a Chinook.