RAF Chinook helicopter responds to incident near Arundel during Remembrance Sunday flypast
and live on Freeview channel 276
Incredible images and video footage, taken by Worthing resident Mark Sheene, showed the moment the chopper landed and took off again from a field north of Arundel on Sunday afternoon (November 13).
An RAF spokesperson said: “A Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter conducted a series of flypasts across the South of England for Remembrance Sunday commemorations.
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Hide Ad“During the sortie, an incident occurred on the ground. The helicopter landed and the crew provided assistance.
"An investigation is ongoing and we cannot comment further at this time.”
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Bypassers were mesmerised by the sound of the chopper – described on the RAF website as an ‘extremely capable and highly versatile’ support helicopter that can be operated from land bases or ships into a ‘diverse range of environments’, from the Arctic to the desert or the jungle.
Mark, who saw the helicopter during a family day-out with his mum and son, said: “It had to come down quickly in the morning. The engineers were there all day and they were really friendly. They were on the way to Bognor.
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"We watched it take off. It was amazing. We were really close, about 100 yards away from it. The pilot waved as he flew off. It made our day. “
The helicopter, which entered service with the RAF in 1981, can be armed and is fitted with a suite of self-defence equipment, allowing it to operate across the battlespace.
The RAF said they are ‘primarily used’ for trooping, resupply and battlefield casualty evacuation.
The Chinook has been operational with the RAF in Afghanistan and Bosnia as well as the Falklands War and Gulf Wars.
