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Commando Helicopter Force hosts landowners to see what the Junglies get up to
3 July 2017
Every year for as long as many can remember the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF), known as the “Junglies”, (the Force was born during the Borneo & Malayan Emergency) has invited farmers and landowners from the area to spend a day with them at Merryfield Airfield, Ilton - this year the event was held on Wednesday the 28th June.
It is a way for CHF and its servicemen and servicewomen to say ‘thank you’ to those who allow their land to be used for helicopter training purposes.
On show were the helicopters of course, two Merlin and one Wildcat but there was also a display showing some of the equipment that CHF has to enable it to deploy operationally world-wide.
In 2016 the Junglies trained in desert, arctic and maritime environments.
Some landowners are able to allow such training to take place once a year on their land, whilst others allow more frequent access……it all depends on how much land is available and what it is used for.
Without the close relationship and good will that exists between the landowners and CHF the variety of training in different terrain would not be possible.
CHF’s aircrews are considered the best in the world and much of this is down to the realistic training that they are able to undertake when they are flying training in the South West.
We waited and waited for the grey, rain laden skies to clear to allow everyone to have a short flight in a Merlin but the cloud base stayed at 300’ and we needed 500’, and in the end the weather won and no flying took place.
It was the first time ever that CHF could not fly landowners!
So everyone chatted and laughed and got to know each other and the CHF personnel, and a BBQ later saw the further bonding of an already strong relationship between CHF and the area’s farmers and landowners.
Anyone considering allowing their land to be used by CHF, no matter how infrequently should contact Lieutenant Dominic Savage of the Mobile Air Operations Team on 01935 456648.