// Afghanistan Pilot’s Deployment
By SQNLDR Marcel Scott
For the past three years, Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadron Leader Marcel Scott has been on exchange with the Royal Air Force (RAF), where he frequently deployed to Afghanistan. What follows is one of his many experiences from the cockpit of an RAF Chinook helicopter…
Operation Lastay Kulang was a night airborne assault on a village in the Helmand Region, Southern Afghanistan. It was a joint operation consisting of both American and British Chinook and Apache helicopters.
The mission was uneventful until the departure from the Landing Zone, after inserting the first wave of soldiers. Flipper 75, an American Chinook, was hit simultaneously by two Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG)—one hitting the nose and the other the number 2 engine. This caused the aircraft to rotate about its nose and impact the ground inverted, instantly killing all crew members on board. The large fireball that erupted was witnessed by a crewman on the preceding British Chinook; he reported to his Captain that the Close Air Support must have dropped some ordnance.
A few hours after this event I was at the controls of a British Chinook, tasked to recover soldiers with gun shot wounds sustained from the ground battle in place since the insert. Luckily we were separated from the crash site by the Helmand River, but knowing that a Chinook was shot down close to the area that we were to land in certainly got the adrenaline flowing.
We uplifted the soldiers without incident, but I will never forget the feeling as I witnessed tracer fire in battle for the first time, knowing that I was about to end up in the middle of it. Moments later, we began the descent and the low level run in to the objective.
Operation Lastay Kulang was one of the many unforgettable experiences from my exchange with the RAF. I was based at the home of the UK Chinook Force at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, returning to New Zealand in July 2009. During my time with 18(B) Squadron (SQN) I completed three, 10-week tours to Afghanistan, operating in the very interesting Helmand Province.
The Chinook was an incredible aircraft to fly and its manoeuvrability defied its size. It was well suited to the harsh desert environment and I learned a great deal operating it in one of the most dangerous places in the world. The highlight of the exchange was leading a large multi-aircraft deliberate operation on my last tour.
I feel extremely privileged to have served with 18(B) SQN, RAF. The experience and knowledge that I gained, particularly when on Operations, has surpassed my expectations and I am grateful to the command elements of 18(B) SQN who entrusted in me the responsibilities of an RAF equivalent role. I will never forget my time with the Chinook Force and in particular the wonderful people of RAF Odiham.
Chinook HC2/2A/3
Specifications
- Engines: 2 Textron Lycoming T55-L712F turboshafts
- Thrust: 3,148shp each
- Max speed: 160kts
- Length: 30.18m
- Max altitude: 15,000ft
- Span: 18.29m
- Aircrew: 4