Forum Topic

Another Chinook ...

... over Putney yesterday evening.  They still seem to regularly fly over Putney. Interestingly, when I posted this to FB I got a comment from a FB friend that they'd also seem them over Oxford frequently. https://flic.kr/p/2jpa5XH

Michael Ixer ● 1748d7 Comments

Chinooks have been doing this for quite a while. We used to regularly see four in a row when we were waiting to pick our son up from school in Barnes some years back.

Roy Robart ● 1741d

Thanks, Ed. I have used this website in the past but it doesn't always have full details for non scheduled flights - and certainly not their purpose. (And on this occasion I was walking along the street taking the odd pic.)It was interesting how during the hight  of lockdown a high proportion of flights were DHL or similar carriers.Good you're back online. 

Michael Ixer ● 1743d

Hi Michael, I was offline - a few days.I use this website, you can see the path of the aircraft and normally model details etc.The one just now is policehttps://www.radarbox.com/@51.46157,-0.20707,z13Saves sticking your head out of the window :)

Ed Robinson ● 1743d

Odiham and Benson.  Benson also has Police helicopters and  Thames Valley Air Ambulance which is probably why we've seen so many when we've been around there.

Philippa Bond ● 1745d

Chinooks are from an RAF base in Hampshire. I'd rather have occasional helicopters flying over rather than the planes going to Heathrow.

Sarah Stevenson ● 1745d

I thought they were taking advantage of the lack of air traffic for training.  I understood they were based in Hants.  You do also see a lot near Oxford.  Also a lot recently in Devon - or maybe the same ones again and again!

Philippa Bond ● 1747d

Drive me mad, they should be following the river, but most helicopters take the shorter route over West Putney and the Wetlands, which is apparently illegal.  My understanding is that the official heli route is following the Thames.

Bunny Payne ● 1747d