Boeing Chinook (UK variants) Boeing Chinook (UK variants) The Boeing Chinook is a large, tandem rotor helicopter operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). A series of variants based on the United States Army's Boeing CH-47 Chinook, the RAF Chinook fleet is the largest outside the United States. RAF Chinooks have seen extensive service including fighting in the Falklands War, peace-keeping commitments in the Balkans, Northern Ireland and action in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Chinook aircraft, normally based at RAF Odiham, provides heavy-lift support and transport across all branches of the British armed forces, and is supported by the smaller, medium-lift helicopters
1994 Scotland RAF Chinook crash data greatly reduced the amount and quality of data available to subsequent investigations. Information on speed and height were derived from the position of cockpit dials in the wreckage, and the wreckage's condition. During 1994, the RAF had begun to fit these recording devices across the Chinook HC.2 fleet prior to the accident; this process was completed in 2002. The aircraft had not been classified as being airworthy. It was mandated upon the RAF that it was "not to be relied upon in any way". The documentary series "Seconds From Disaster" featured the accident in the episode "Chinook Helicopter Crash".