*Important Safety Announcement* - RAF Odiham
 

Chinook overhead just now reminded me of this.

Posted on the 5th on RAF Odiham's Twitter Feed

*Important Safety Announcement*

Being in close proximity to Chinooks operating in confined areas places you and the crews at increased risk from downwash related incidents.

Recently an individual came dangerously close to an aircraft whilst attempting to retrieve a personal item that had been dislodged by downwash.

These situations can hamper our operational training objectives, as the crews are reluctant to take off if bystanders are at risk for downwash debris. Please be safe when observing our aircraft out and about, and always remain a safe distance away from the landing zone.

5 Dec
Recently an individual came dangerously close to an aircraft whilst attempting to retrieve a personal item that had been dislodged by downwash.
·
5 Dec
These situations can hamper our operational training objectives, as the crews are reluctant to take off if bystanders are at risk for downwash debris.

Please be safe when observing our aircraft out and about, and always remain a safe distance away from the landing zone.

And the classic response. (From a person whi is ex-Army and a RW pilot)
:ugh:
xxxx
Replying to
@RAF_Odiham
Alternatively, if there are people potentially at risk, how about landing somewhere else?
9:37 pm · 5 Dec 2022

Which prompts me to ask if there are any amusing stories of members of the public interupting operational flying in an attempt to get on the Darwin Awards long list?

Not Darwisum but Chinook.
When we got the first new Chinooks a local farmer called Odiham and was put through to the OCU Ops desk, I think it was DW on the desk at the time and after the farmer berated him about the noise disturbing his livestock he replied, well they better get used to it mate as they will be here for the next 30 years… that was some 40 odd years ago and the livestock is probably long gone as possibly is the farmer, however the Chinook is still clattering around the circuit.

In the last twenty years I’ve only had one formal low flying complaint made against me. I discovered that the complainant was also an ex Army heli pilot. I was accused of breaking the 500 foot rule during a departure from a private landing site, showing that his knowledge of the civilian flying regulations was somewhat lacking!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-Chinooks.html
Chinooks that are landing occasionally fly below 200ft shocker...

RAF Odiham - Opened 1925, Chinooks started operating out of there 1980.
Complainant - Moved in 1985, started complaining 12 years later.

Many moons ago, as ATC Sup at a top secret ufo base in SW England, I was contacted by Ops to see if I would talk to an irate lady about a noise complaint.

Nothing else to do as the little green men were out by Orion, I duly took the call to break the early evening boredom.

Her main gripe was that one of "our" helicopters was causing such a racket beyond her garden fence that her viewing pleasure of deadenders was totally ruined cause she couldn't hear the telly. Not being a fan, I said something about it probably improving the storyline, which garnered no reaction. Perhaps she didn't hear me properly over the noise which I could hear in the background.

We had nothing on comms, nothing showing on radar so I asked her if it had any markings she could see to help identify it. She put the phone down and tootled off and came back a few moments later and said "It's got a big blue and red circle on it, and it says "no step" on the side of it"!

Turns out it was an SF wokka having a play in the field at the other side of her garden fence. Pretty close for her to see what she did.

Anyway, It left as we were talking and she thanked me for helping, and hung up.

A few mins later a random chinook called up for a MATZ crossing and then all became clear.

Hong Kong 1967 OD Kai Tak duty officer.
European lady rings to complain re the noise from the firing range where several Hunters are thrashing around. I explained that was an air gunnery range and she advised me that now her house had been built nearby, we would have to move our range. I told her I'd speak to those in charge but it might take a little while!
Old Duffer

Guard commander at Lyneham one night and a call came through to me at the gate from MOD operator rather than being directed to Ops.

"One of your helicopters has been worrying my horses"

My honest reply "madam we don't have helicopters here but horse worrying is probably a police matter" line went dead, but my phone lit up shortly after 8 the following morning as I was summoned to OC Admin to explain myself.

I believe the unidentified helicopter got away with it!

I was a Holding Officer at BZN in the early 90's, and had the pleasure of working in the community relations office. I get a phone call from none other than the local MP Douglas Heard, who was also the Foreign Secretary at the time. I quickly hand off the phone to the 'real' CRO and a conversation ensues. Turns out that one of his constituents has complained that a VC10 took off over his house a 3am (if memory serves). The MP said it was completely uinreasonable to launch at such an hour and wanted an explanation. CRO promised to find out and call him right back.
The CRO spoke to Ops and got the story then rang the Hon. Mr Heard back with a delicious grin on his face...and explained to Mr Heard that he should have remembered the flight, as he was on it ...

BZN Line, late 80's. We get a call on the line from the civi police, someone had been arrested near the fence for taking pot shots at the landing Tens with an air rifle and has been released on bail, we just thought we better let you know.
Thanks, we will inspect the fleet for damage, can you narrow down a time so we know what was flying?
Last Thursday! :ugh:

As in it took them 5 days to get around to telling us.

RAF Odiham Families Day, early 90's.
Visiting Tornado was asked to make plenty of noise.
No noise complaints about helicopters for the next 3 months!

lsh
:E

Well that's a weird coincidence, a farmer called (Mr?) Odiham farming near Odiham!!