With the ability to carry up to 55 military personnel or ten tonnes of cargo, the Chinook is the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) heavy-lift helicopter workhorse. It operates in extreme weather conditions and flies seamlessly from both land and sea bases.

As one of the most recognisable aircraft ever constructed, its history dates back to the mid-1950s. Manufacturer Vertol designed a tandem-rotor helicopter to meet US Army lifting requirements. Introduced in 1958 as the Model 114, it became the Boeing Model 114 when Boeing acquired Vertol in 1960.

The US Army ordered five prototypes, with the first flight taking place in September 1961. The production version, the CH-47A, entered service in August 1962 and quickly made its name during the Vietnam War. Named after the Chinook Native American tribe of the Pacific Northwest, the aircraft spent the 1960s and early '70s on combat missions across Asia, transporting weaponry, supplies, and troops, as well as recovering downed aircraft.

               

             CH-47 Chinook Sling-Loading an Artillery Piece, Early 1968, An Khe, Vietnam

While the British military admired Boeing’s design, it took years for the helicopter to cross the Atlantic. Military personnel affectionately dubbed it the "Wokka Wokka"—a tag that perfectly describes the unique, iconic sound the helicopter makes in flight.

Records show the RAF initially tried to acquire the helicopter more than a decade earlier. Financial constraints derailed a March 1967 order of 15 aircraft intended to replace the Bristol Belvedere; a defence review cancelled the order just eight months later.

Finally, in the late 1970s, the Chinook received the green light to replace the Westland Wessex. The first successful order brought 33 HC.Mk1 aircraft into RAF service in the early 1980s.

Prior to the aircraft arriving at RAF Odiham, a small group of RAF aircrew spent time at the Boeing factory in Philadelphia to master the systems. Upon their return, they formed the Chinook Flight at 240 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), taking responsibility for training existing Wessex and Puma crews on the new aircraft.

The Chinook proved to be an extremely capable and versatile support helicopter. Its primary roles include:

Its massive lifting capability relies on a triple-hook system, allowing it to carry a wide variety of heavy or awkward loads underslung beneath the fuselage. The aircraft flies at up to 180 mph at an altitude of 15,000 feet, boasting a range of around 1,200 miles when equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks.

There was no honeymoon period for the new RAF crews. Just a year after its introduction, four Chinooks were loaded onto the container ship Atlantic Conveyor, bound for the Falklands War in 1982.

While en route in the South Atlantic on May 25, 1982, one Chinook—serial number Bravo November—left the ship to pick up freight. While it was airborne, the Atlantic Conveyor was struck by two Argentine Exocet missiles. Bravo November rushed back to assist with the ship's evacuation before safely landing on the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.

Tragically, 12 crew members aboard the Atlantic Conveyor died in the attack. The other three Chinooks were destroyed in the resulting fire, along with seven other helicopters.                

                 

Despite losing its sister aircraft, Bravo November proved invaluable throughout the Falklands campaign, earning the nickname "The Survivor." Because it was the only remaining Chinook available to No. 18 Squadron, many British troops had to march on foot across difficult terrain for the final assault on Port Stanley.

Bravo November went on to serve in every major conflict following the Falklands, and several of its pilots earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for their actions. Today, the public can view this legendary aircraft at the RAF Midlands Museum in Cosford.

The HC.Mk1 and its successors have seen continuous action in global theatres, including Iraq, the Balkans, and Afghanistan. Beyond combat, the Chinook regularly deploys for international humanitarian aid missions and domestic search-and-rescue operations.

In August 2019, a Chinook crewed by personnel from Nos. 27 and 18 Squadrons gripped national attention in the Peak District. Heavy rainfall severely damaged the Toddbrook Reservoir dam, threatening to unleash 300 million gallons of water onto the nearby town of Whaley Bridge. The Chinook flew continuous sorties, precisely depositing load after load of aggregate into the breach to reinforce the dam wall and prevent a catastrophic collapse.

The aircraft's historic legacy also carries deep tragedy. On June 2, 1994, Chinook ZD576 crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in dense fog, marking the RAF’s fourth-worst peacetime disaster. The aircraft had departed RAF Aldergrove near Belfast, carrying 25 British intelligence experts to a conference in Inverness. All passengers and four crew members lost their lives.

The UK remains Boeing’s largest overseas customer for the aircraft. Current projections expect the Chinook to remain in active RAF service until the 2040s.

Today, the 60-strong fleet is based at RAF Odiham and RAF Benson. The fleet's maintenance program supports roughly 1,200 British jobs, with 800 positions at Boeing Defence UK (BDUK) and another 400 across the wider supply chain.

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