Home > Services > Royal Air Force
Chinooks celebrate the 100th anniversaries of 18(B) and 27 Squadron from RAF Odiham
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Armed Forces
Chinooks celebrate the 100th anniversaries of 18(B) and 27 Squadron from RAF Odiham
Pictured are a special formation of Chinooks from 18, 27 & 28 Sqn, part of their 100th anniversary celebrations.
On Wednesday 14 September a very special formation left RAF Odiham bound for the south coast of England but tactical camouflage was not on the agenda! In the past 18 months three Chinook aircraft have been painted to celebrate the 100th anniversaries of 18(B) and 27 Squadron from RAF Odiham and 28 Squadron from RAF Benson.
With the first of the helicopters expected to be returned to standard operational markings in the near future this opportunity was integrated in to a formation training sortie which tested the crews ability to plan and execute some very unique tasks. With it being so complex the mission was, unusually, briefed the day prior to launch and each crew walked through the various maneouvres in the hangar, in what is colloquially known as a rock drill. At the hour they walked for their aircraft each member had a firm grasp of the planned movements which enabled them to focus on maintaining strict safety margins.
The day itself was only the end of a long road though, with preparation having begun over 6 months ago. Operational restraints cancelled the first planned date in June and the only other window where all three aircraft were available concurrently was identified as being this week.
RAF Odihams dedicated and professional engineering teams were therefore faced with generating three very specific airframes to complete this sortie whilst concurrently deploying multiple others to support exercises in Sweden and onboard HMS Ocean and providing manpower to flying detachments in the United States and elsewhere. They succeeded and the results of their efforts are clearly seen.The Serco team who painted the Chinooks at Odiham, each in the space of two intense weeks, were invited to see the three lined up on the dispersal together for what may be the first and only time a moment they had waited a long time to see.
As for the
The British Army protects the United Kingdom's interests at home and abroad, providing a safe and secure environment in which all British citizens can live and prosper
Media ID 15229967
© Crown copyright
18 Sqn 18 Squadron 27 Sqn 27 Squadron 28 Sqn 28 Squadron 3 Ship 4 Ship Air To Air Aircraft Blue Sky Centenary Chinook Chinook Mk4 Equipment Formation Ground To Air Hc2a Helicopter Raf Benson Raf Odiham Royal Air Force Salisbury Plain Training Area Spta Squadron Support Support Helicopter Tail Art Za683 Za712 Hover
FEATURES IN THESE COLLECTIONS
> Animals
> Insects
> Butterflies
> Mission Blue
> Animals
> Mammals
> Cercopithecidae
> Drill
> Animals
> Mammals
> Muridae
> Long-tailed Mouse
> Animals
> Mammals
> Muridae
> Plains Mouse
> Armed Forces
> RAF
> Arts
> Art Movements
> Related Images
> Europe
> Sweden
> Related Images
> Europe
> United Kingdom
> England
> Salisbury
> Science
> Space Exploration
> Space Walk
MADE IN THE USA
Safe Shipping with 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
FREE PERSONALISATION*
We are proud to offer a range of customisation features including Personalised Captions, Color Filters and Picture Zoom Tools
SECURE PAYMENTS
We happily accept a wide range of payment options so you can pay for the things you need in the way that is most convenient for you
* Options may vary by product and licensing agreement. Zoomed Pictures can be adjusted in the Cart.
