There will be no RAF Chinook solo display in 2024 – although the aircraft will likely make some flying display appearances this year in the form of a role demonstration.
The display team wrote on social media: “Due to ongoing global operational commitments, particularly in support of our NATO partners, the Chinook Force will not be conducting their full display this year.
“2024 will see a reduced programme of events which will involve a role demonstration showcasing the aircraft’s incredible capabilities.”
A role demonstration includes manoeuvres typically flown on operations and in combat, thus requiring less training than a full airshow display and reducing strain on the squadron providing the performance.
A previous Chinook role demonstration, performed in 2010, included insersion of troops via fast roping and the carrying underslung loads. The solo display, meanwhile, showcases demanding manoeuvres developed and practiced especially for airshows, such as the Rollercoaster (a series of parabolic pitches to 60 degrees nose high, then 60 degrees nose low), the Rolling Quickstop (a rolling landing only using the two rear wheels, followed by a reversing take off) and the Gornji Corkscrew (a rapid spiralling ascent based on a defunct battlefield tactic).
Joint Helicopter Command has become increasingly operationally stretched in recent years and its airshow appearances have become rarer, with the Chinook’s season getting shorter and featuring slightly fewer shows per year since the pandemic. JHC’s Attack Helicopter Display Team, meanwhile, has been absent from the airshow circuit since 2019.
It is not currently known how many shows can expect to host the role demonstration, or what exactly this role demonstration will consist of.