London Heli-Route H4 20th May 2011

[kevinm]

Good evening All,

I am working my way through some old gaps in the logbook and found an entry for 4 Chinooks heading westbound along the Thames on Friday, 20th May 2011. The first pair was overhead London at 15.15, followed by the second pair at 15:45.

There was a Presidential visit to the UK and Ireland the following week so they may or may not be related. I can't find a mention of Chinooks being involved in the UK leg of the visit, although four were reported in Dublin with two VH-60s.

Any help with identifying the London aircraft would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Kev

[JAWS]

Good evening All,

I am working my way through some old gaps in the logbook and found an entry for 4 Chinooks heading westbound along the Thames on Friday, 20th May 2011. The first pair was overhead London at 15.15, followed by the second pair at 15:45.

There was a Presidential visit to the UK and Ireland the following week so they may or may not be related. I can't find a mention of Chinooks being involved in the UK leg of the visit, although four were reported in Dublin with two VH-60s.

Any help with identifying the London aircraft would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Kev

Kev,

It might be your lucky day, MAR 6/2011 has the following:

DUBLIN:

With the visit of the US President to Eire the following arrived on May 20th

04-4129 C-17A “Rch290”
07-7188 C-17A “Rch282”
84-00162 C-12U F/52 AVN “Duke66”

The following helicopters were also around -

163263 VH-60N HMX-1 “Nighthawk 71”
163266 VH-60N HMX-1 “Nighthawk 71”
88-00101 CH-47D D/5-158 AVN “Nighthawk 71”
89-00143 CH-47D D/5-158 AVN “Nighthawk 3”
89-00163 CH-47D D/5-158 AVN “Nighthawk 3”
87-00072 CH-47D D/5-158 AVN (did not fly)

Note it says "The following helicopters were also around", doesn't say that's when they arrived. I looked through reports for other Airfields around UK but no mention of them anywhere else on the 20th. So can't positively identify them as being the above but a possibility.

Steve......

[kevinm]

Thanks very much for your response Steve

I just found a log of Dublin movements for 18th May and the 4 CH47s arrived at 14.51 on that day, so not them.

It could just have been Odiham aircraft on ther way home. Alternatively, there were 4 CH46s at Mildenhall at the same time.  It might have been them on a familiarisation flight. I'll keep searching.

Best regards,

Kev

[JAWS]

Thanks very much for your response Steve

I just found a log of Dublin movements for 18th May and the 4 CH47s arrived at 14.51 on that day, so not them.

It could just have been Odiham aircraft on ther way home. Alternatively, there were 4 CH46s at Mildenhall at the same time.  It might have been them on a familiarisation flight. I'll keep searching.

Best regards,

Kev

Armed with that info I took another look to see what CH-46 movements I could find.

Under Mildenhall MAR 6/2011

TEST FLIGHTS

19.05 CH-46E: 157682/20 “Nighthawk20”, 157683/21 “Nighthawk21”

20.05 CH-46E: 157680/18 “Nighthawk18”, 153362/22 “Nighthawk22”
VH-3D: 159352 “Nighthawk2” 159355 “Nighthawk1”

PRACTICE MISSIONS

20.05 VH-3D: 159352, 159355 “Nighthawk1 Flight”
CH-46E: 157683/21, 157682/20/4 “Nighthawk3 Flight”

21.05 VH-3D: 159352, 159355 “Nighthawk1 Flight”
CH-46E: 157682 157683, 157680 153362 “Nighthawk3 Flight”

So doesn't look like them either.

Steve........

[kevinm]

It doesn't look like it. I think I'll write them off.

Thanks for the research Steve.

Best regards,

Kev

[JAWS]

It doesn't look like it. I think I'll write them off.

Thanks for the research Steve.

Best regards,

Kev

Happy to help where I can, shame it didn't turn out better for you.

Steve.......