The “Birth” Of A Chinook Is The Weirdest Helicopter Display You Will Ever See

Published Mar 26, 2021 6:41 PM EDT

Think of memorable air show displays and the chances are you’ll recall some of the spectacular routines flown by thrust-vectoring F-22 Raptor stealth fighters , super-maneuverable Su-35 Flanker fighter jets , or perhaps one of the U.S. Air Force’s iconic heritage formations . This video, however, presents something completely different: a pair of Royal Australian Air Force CH-47 Chinook helicopters performing what can only be described as a formation courtship dance, with a rather literal — and totally unique — conclusion.

The footage was taken during an air show commemorating the Diamond Jubilee, or 60th anniversary, of the Royal Australian Air Force, or RAAF, which took place at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, near the country’s eastern coast, on April 5, 1981. Billed as “the most spectacular air show ever staged in Australia,” the event was presented as a 2.5-hour live telecast on the ABC-TV channel.

Royal Australian Air Force CH-47C Chinooks during the Diamond Jubilee at their home base. , Facebook Screencap

Perhaps with the thought in the backs of their minds that the hulking Chinook would have to compete with RAAF fast jets — this was the era of the mighty Mirage III and show-stopping F-111 — as well as dedicated display teams , the service’s rotary-wing specialists decided to take a very different approach to their display sequence. As the first export customer for the twin-rotor heavy-lift helicopter, they were clearly keen to make an impression.

Whatever the thinking, the result is simply one of the most unusual air show routines you’re likely to see. The commentary, provided by ABC’s David Flatman, himself a former pilot, and Jeff Watson, helps, too, with the pair clearly in on the joke, and enjoying every moment of it. As the Chinook pair, led by Squadron Leader Chris Beatty, show off the big helicopter’s handling qualities, in a perfectly coordinated flight low over the runway, the mood takes a rapid change of direction.

“I think they almost kissed there, Jeff,” remarks Flatman, before noting that the Chinooks in the two-ship routine were starting to resemble “a pair of brolgas [a type of Australian crane species] in some form of mating ritual.”

That is exactly what the RAAF aviators have planned, of course, and the remainder of the display involves the helicopters approaching each other, turning tightly in formation, breaking and, what the commentators describe as “cuddling.”

Finally, the “female” Chinook returns to the runway, escorted by a “medical vehicle.” You can probably guess what happens next, but it involves a “surgeon,” male personnel dressed in scrubs (and also in drag), plus a comically oversize nursing bottle.

One of the RAAF Base Amberley Volkswagen Transporter vans, hastily converted into an “ambulance.”, Facebook Screencap

The whole routine is something that, perhaps, could only have emerged in the 1980s.

However, there was a more serious side in the demonstration of the Chinook’s capabilities, which have served the Australian Defense Forces so well. Today, the much more advanced CH-47F is flown by the Australian Army, rather than the RAAF, with 10 examples based at Townsville and used for airmobile, air assault, aeromedical evacuation, and amphibious operations.

“Laughs aside, the technical coordination of that flying is seriously impressive,” Flight Lieutenant Andy Donovan a U.K. Royal Air Force Chinook pilot, who has also performed air displays in the type, told The War Zone , after watching the video. “The timing of their maneuvers is far more difficult than it is made to look when you consider the effects of wind on a large helicopter and the lack of visibility from the cockpit when it comes to tracking the other machine. No doubt a well-planned and rehearsed crew effort.”

One thing that comes across in the video is the fact the Chinook is very fast for its size, in addition to its impressive high-altitude and other performance specifications. This has helped it to perform time and again in demanding operational scenarios and is part of the reason it has been a ubiquitous feature of most American military operations since the Vietnam War, as well as serving with numerous allies.

Furthermore, the particular kinds of close-in maneuvering that Squadron Leader Beatty and his team present can also be seen in real-world scenarios, especially the Chinook’s impressive ability to perform pinnacle landings , something that The War Zone has also explored previously, here and here .

A line of No. 12 Squadron Chinooks at RAAF Base Amberley in the 1980s., Firemanwill14/Wikimedia Commons

In less than a week, the RAAF will mark its centenary, with a planned flypast over Canberra involving over 60 aircraft. That will, no doubt, be very different from how things were done 40 years ago. But the amorous Chinook pair remind us that the world of military aviation is always ready to spring a surprise of some kind.

Hat-tip to Eamon Hamilton for bringing this video to our attention.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com

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发布于美国东部时间2021年3月26日下午6:41

提到令人难忘的航展表演，你很可能会想起F-22“猛禽”隐形战斗机、苏-35“侧卫”战斗机，或是美国空军标志性的传统编队飞行。然而，这段视频呈现的却是截然不同的景象：两架澳大利亚皇家空军的CH-47“支奴干”直升机正在进行一场堪称“编队求偶舞”的表演，其结尾更是别出心裁，令人耳目一新。

这段录像拍摄于1981年4月5日，当时正在昆士兰州安伯利皇家澳大利亚空军基地（位于澳大利亚东海岸附近）举行的皇家澳大利亚空军成立60周年（钻石禧年）纪念飞行表演。这场被誉为“澳大利亚有史以来最壮观的飞行表演”的活动，在澳大利亚广播公司（ABC）电视台进行了2.5小时的现场直播。

澳大利亚皇家空军的CH-47C“支奴干”直升机在基地庆祝女王登基60周年钻石禧年。（Facebook截图）

或许是考虑到庞大的奇努克直升机将要与澳大利亚皇家空军的快速喷气式战斗机——当时正是强大的幻影III和令人叹为观止的F-111的时代——以及专业的飞行表演队竞争，该部队的旋翼机专家决定采取一种截然不同的表演方式。作为这款双旋翼重型运输直升机的首个出口客户，他们显然渴望给人留下深刻印象。

无论其背后的用意如何，最终呈现的绝对是你所能见到的最不同寻常的飞行表演之一。ABC电视台的大卫·弗拉特曼（他本人也是一名前飞行员）和杰夫·沃森的解说也功不可没，两人显然都心知肚明其中的幽默，并且乐在其中。当由克里斯·比蒂中队长率领的两架奇努克直升机在跑道上空进行完美协调的低空飞行，展示这架大型直升机的操控性能时，气氛也随之迅速转变。

“杰夫，我觉得他们差点就亲上了，”弗拉特曼说道，然后指出，这两艘奇努克直升机在双机编队飞行中开始看起来像“一对澳洲鹤（一种澳大利亚鹤类）在进行某种形式的交配仪式”。

当然，这正是澳大利亚皇家空军飞行员们的计划，接下来的表演包括直升机相互靠近、紧密地转弯、解散，以及解说员所描述的“亲密接触”。

最后，这架“雌性”奇努克直升机在“医疗车”的护送下返回跑道。你大概能猜到接下来会发生什么，但其中涉及到一名“外科医生”、身穿手术服（甚至还有男扮女装）的男性工作人员，以及一个滑稽的超大号奶瓶。

一辆皇家澳大利亚空军安伯利基地的大众Transporter厢式货车被匆忙改装成“救护车”。（Facebook截图）

整个流程或许只能在 20 世纪 80 年代出现。

然而，奇努克直升机性能的展示也蕴含着更为严肃的意义，它曾为澳大利亚国防军做出过巨大​​贡献。如今，澳大利亚陆军而非皇家澳大利亚空军已装备了更为先进的CH-47F直升机，其中10架部署在汤斯维尔，用于空中机动、空中突击、航空医疗后送和两栖作战。

“玩笑归玩笑，这段飞行的技术协调性确实令人印象深刻，”英国皇家空军奇努克直升机飞行员安迪·多诺万中尉在观看视频后告诉《战区》杂志。多诺万中尉也曾驾驶该机型进行过飞行表演。“考虑到风对大型直升机的影响，以及驾驶舱视野受限导致难以追踪对方飞机，他们的机动动作时机把握远比看起来要难得多。毫无疑问，这是一次精心策划和反复演练的团队合作。”

视频中展现的一点是，奇努克直升机体积虽小，但速度却非常快，此外，它还拥有令人印象深刻的高空飞行能力和其他性能指标。这使得它在各种严苛的作战环境中屡屡发挥出色作用，也是自越南战争以来，它一直是美国大多数军事行动以及众多盟国军事行动中不可或缺的装备之一。

此外，贝蒂中队长和他的团队所展现的近距离机动技术，在现实世界中也能看到，尤其是奇努克直升机令人印象深刻的尖顶着陆能力，《战区》之前也曾对此进行过探讨，详情请见此处和此处。

20世纪80年代，澳大利亚皇家空军安伯利基地第12中队的一排奇努克直升机。（图片来源：Firemanwill14/Wikimedia Commons）

不到一周，澳大利亚皇家空军将迎来百年庆典，届时将有超过60架飞机在堪培拉上空进行飞行表演。毫无疑问，这与40年前的庆祝方式截然不同。但那对恩爱的奇努克直升机提醒我们，军事航空界总是充满惊喜。

感谢 Eamon Hamilton 让我们注意到这段视频。

联系作者：thomas@thedrive.com

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