‘It looks like an articulated lorry’: Why a helicopter was circling east …

‘It looks like an articulated lorry’: Chinook helicopter seen flying over Bournemouth

RESIDENTS have been looking up to the sky this afternoon as a distinct helicopter noise is heard over east Dorset’s skies.

People living in Hurn, where Bournemouth^[1] Airport is, as far as Wimborne and Poole would have this afternoon heard a Chinook RAF helicopter flying overhead.

The double-bladed helicopter was flying over Dorset to take part in training, with the crew practicing instrument approaches to the airfield at Bournemouth Airport with no plan to land there.

A spokesman for the RAF said: “A Chinook from 28 Squadron RAF Benson, completed routine operational training & low flying in the south of England today, such training ensuring that our crews continue to be ready for global operations.”

Bournemouth Echo: Chinook

Chinook (Image: Richard Crease)

Known for making a loud noise whilst flying, the Chinook is an extremely capable military helicopter that can reach jungles and deserts.

Primarily used for trooping, resupply and battlefield casualty evacuation, the Chinook can carry up to 55 personnel or up to approximately 10 tonnes of mixed cargo.

Despite being 18 feet tall and nearly 100 feet long, it can reach speeds of up to 183mph and has a maximum density altitude of 15,000 feet.

Introduced by the Americans in the 1960s, the Chinook is used by air forces across the world, including the Japanese, the Saudis and the Royal Air Force.