Low-flying Chinooks

[ohnovino]

Just before lunch today, I was sitting in my office when there was a very loud rumble outside. I went out and saw two black Chinook helicopters fly past, just a few hundred feet up and in close formation. They then turned quite sharply and headed back the way they came.

My first thought was that I've not recovered from a boozy weekend, but I've just checked Twitter and it seems like not only were they real, but they've been spotted all over the North West today.

Has anyone else seen them, or does anyone know what they were doing?

BTW, I don't know how Special Forces sneak up on people using those things; our building shook so much it felt like an earthquake.

 

[upsidedown]

I've just seen one fly past the office near Birmingham but i assumed it was another patient for the Army unit at Selly Oak.

 

[Globalti]

I saw them two weeks ago heading NE over Bowland from the direction of Liverpool, flying very low.

*off to Airliners.net to check the military forum*

 

[Dayvo]

Wasn't those Yank 'Special' soldiers out on another mission somewhere, was it?

 

[Globalti]

They realised that the Osama they shot in Abbottabad was just somebody's grandpa and now they've switched the search to Rochdale.

 

[Arch]

There was one chuntering about over York on Friday. How the hell they stay up in the air I dunno, they're like bumble bees.

 

[benb]

There was one chuntering about over York on Friday. How the hell they stay up in the air I dunno, they're like bumble bees.

Like bumblebees how?

 

[Archie_tect]

How Chinooks resemble bumblebees in that they manage to fly at all... [without getting into anything remotely explanatory Ben].

 

[JtB]

Saw one take off once from our village green. All the pe-flight checks must have taken 40 mins or so. But once it decided to lift off, it just shot up in the blink of an eye. Impressive or what!

 

[benb]

How Chinooks resemble bumblebees in that they manage to fly at all... [without getting into anything remotely explanatory Ben].

Sorry, what do you mean? The rotors provide lift. A bumblebee's wings provide lift. The lift is greater than gravity. Therefore they fly.

 

[Archie_tect]

Sorry, what do you mean? The rotors provide lift. A bumblebee's wings provide lift. The lift is greater than gravity. Therefore they fly.

Yes, they do [overlooking the 'remotely explanatory' bit...].

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

If you want a Bee - like Helicopter, these Soviet creations really do take some beating!:

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

See it lifting a Chinook:

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

this looks like it is computer generated, but a nice comparison anyway:

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

And this - look at the plane rocking about!:

http://www.youtube.c...68B_VXQ-Kw&NR=1

Incidentally, the last time I saw a Chinook, it was flying over the New Forest (I also saw some VC - 10s) and all I can say is

'What a noisy bug*er!'.

 

[Arch]

Sorry, what do you mean? The rotors provide lift. A bumblebee's wings provide lift. The lift is greater than gravity. Therefore they fly.

It's like, a joke? You know, how Bumblebees look way too big for their wings? Chinook rotors always look to be going round too slowly....


I know how they bloody work, I was just saying they look unwieldy.

 

[wobbler]

Now there is a coincidence! About 12 ish today a fancy big grey military single rotor(?) thingy, flew over from Shropshire direction heading for Wolves city centre, then hung a left up towards the North. There were 4 of us stood looking in amazement at it (really low) then they all said it's the MIB I've never seen the film so have no idea what they were talking about.
Yup, it is hard to understand how something that big and noisy can sneak up on you. I have to admit by the time we had all looked at each other saying. "What the b****y hell is that"?, it was over us, and we would have been easy pickings before we could run for cover.

 

[benb]

It's like, a joke? You know, how Bumblebees look way too big for their wings? Chinook rotors always look to be going round too slowly....


I know how they bloody work, I was just saying they look unwieldy.

Sorry, I thought you were being serious.

That's the trouble with internet discussions - no tone of voice.