team,” Brown said. “You wouldn’t know we’re civilians and RAF. It doesn’t matter. We work together.” Chinooks typically fly with two pilots and two crew members. Each is outfitted in body armor and has a personal weapon. The helicopter can be armed with mini-guns and machine guns. The pilot has several radio channels available to speak to air 24 | BOEING FRONTIERS traffic control, a military controller, ground troops and other aircraft. Levers and buttons deal with everything from night lighting to the cargo hoists. The Chinook actually requires a key to operate. Each engine on the Chinook starts up separately and moves from ground to flight power. Functional checks are performed before liftoff, making sure everything is working properly. In flight, “It feels very robust,” said Flight Lt. Matt Holloway, RAF pilot and now a 27 Squadron Chinook training captain. “The aircraft isn’t going to let you down.” Chinook crews train throughout the UK and off its coastline, as well as in mountainous terrain in Scotland. They regularly transport British army
Frontiers September 2016 Issue
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