Boeing CH-47 Chinook

ZA718 Bravo November

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Bravo November is the original identification code painted on a British [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] ZA718.

The name Bravo November is now associated with this aircraft that has become "most famous" in the popular imagination. It has seen action in every major operation involving the RAF in the helicopter's 25-year service life.

Since 1982 it has served in the Falkland Islands, Lebanon, Germany, Northern Ireland, Kurdistan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The aircraft has seen four of its pilots awarded the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for actions whilst in command of Bravo November.

The aircraft is the subject of a museum exhibit at the RAF museum.

Construction and callsign

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] HC2 was one of the final HC1s the RAF received in February 1982. ZA718 was the first RAF Chinook to be converted to Chinook HC2 standard in 1993–94.

Bravo November has been refitted and upgraded numerous times during its service in the British Armed Forces.

There are few parts of the original aircraft that survive today though the "main fuselage, the manufacturer's data plate in the cockpit and the RAF’s serial number ZA718 clearly emblazoned on the rear of the aircraft remain ever present."^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

The aircraft has had a number of callsigns and designations in throughout its career. It had the Boeing construction number of B-849 with the RAF airframe number of ZA718 which is still visible at the rear of the aircraft.


^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]} The squadron code number of the aircraft has varied with the squadron in which it serves.

The most famous code was Bravo November (BN) which it had during the Falklands War and has been associated with it ever since.


^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]} The current callsign is Echo Quebec (EQ)

Career

Bravo November has had a distinguished career within the Royal Air Force serving in every conflict of the last 30 years and has seen four of its pilots awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions whilst at the controls of the aircraft.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}Falklands War

In April 1982 Bravo November was loaded, along with three other Chinooks, aboard the container ship MV [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] bound for the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].


The chinooks along with other helicopters and all the second-line repair and maintenance support equipment and stores, were sent to the Falkland Islands to spearhead the British landings there.

Whilst en-route to the Falklands the Chinooks were having their rotor blades refitted; by 25 May 1982 only two of the chinooks had undergone this refitting.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien][Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

When the Atlantic Conveyor was attacked and sunk on 25 May 1982 by an [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] that had fired an [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] sea-skimming missile one of these chinooks, Bravo November, was airborne on a task at the time, picking up freight from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

It thus avoided the ship's destruction, assisted in the evacuation, and later landed on the aircraft carrier [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], gaining the nickname "The Survivor".^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien][Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}
Owing to the rapid spread of fire and smoke aboard the Atlantic Conveyor after the Exocet strike, it was not possible to fly any of the helicopters that remained on the ship's deck.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

The strike on the Atlantic Conveyor had now rendered British forces with only one serviceable heavy lift helicopter, and there were no spares, service manuals, lubricants or tools for it.

Even so it was able to carry some 1,500 troops, 95 casualties, 650 POWs and 550 tons of cargo.

The first [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] was awarded for actions in the Falklands War. ZA718 was on a night mission when pilot Squadron Leader Dick Langworthy, descended after losing visibility in a thick snow shower, hitting the sea at around 100 knots (175 km/h) due to a faulty altimeter.

The impact threw up spray that flooded the engine intakes but Langworthy and his copilot managed to get the helicopter back in the air. Unable to navigate or communicate with other forces, Bravo November returned to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to inspect the damage.

The impact had caused "little more than dents to the fuselage and damage to the radio systems."^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

Sqn Ldr Langworthy was awarded a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for his bravery at the controls of ZA718 during the campaign.[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Au Royal Air Force Museum

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Iraq War

Twenty years after the Falklands conflict Bravo November saw service in Iraq, being the first British helicopter to land [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] ashore.

After departing from the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], Bravo November landed the first [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] on to the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to seize oil-pumping facilities before Iraqi troops could destroy them.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien][Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}
The second DFC for actions at the controls of Bravo November was awarded to Squadron Leader Steve Carr for his role in an operation in Iraq.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien][Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

Bravo November was tasked with delivering the Marines to the landing sites marked by US special forces before returning for more troops, guns and freight.

The aircraft was being flown at an altitude of less than 100 ft with restricted visibility due to dust clouds thrown up by American [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

Afghanistan conflict

In June 2006, whilst serving in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], Flight Lieutenant Craig Wilson, Captain of ZA718/BN from 1310 Flt in Helmand Province, received the third Distinguished Flying Cross for 'exceptional courage and outstanding airmanship' while operating in Helmand Province.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien][Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}
During the night of 11 June 2006, Flt Lt Craig Wilson was tasked with picking up a casualty. The mission was successful despite the difficult and dangerous conditions that led Wilson to fly the aircraft at the low altitude of 150 ft.

A few hours after this incident, the helicopter was called out again on operations with Wilson landing the helicopter despite being low on fuel.
After being on duty for over 22 hours, Wilson volunteered to take reinforcements to the front line, returning with two wounded soldiers. For his actions over the 24 hour period Flt Lt Wilson was awarded the DFC.^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}

Terrain de Odiham ( ? )

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Legacy

At the RAF Museum in London there is a full-size replica honouring "Bravo November - the RAF's Most Famous Chinook".^{[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien][Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]}
The exhibit was opened by retired Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns on the 25th anniversary of the Falklands war.

He said that " Bravo November is a hugely significant aeroplane to the RAF...
The RAF almost never singles out individual aircraft for tribute. But Bravo November is exceptional. "

The museum's fine art collection also houses a painting by Joe Naujokas, depicting two of the DFCs completed by 'Bravo November'.

The painting was presented to the Royal Air Force Museum by Sir Michael Jenkins, president of Boeing UK, on 9 December 2004.