Does anybody here fly chinooks?  How do you like the machine and how did you get into that segment of the industry?

military

Good luck

Not as much fun as other machines but gets the job done every time, safe too

It's as fun as any other machine. From tree top level at 150 knots to flying thru a mountain range at 12K there is no limit to the fun you can have with this aircraft. From landing on the deck of a navy ship to yes, landing in the water nothing like it out there. It's a fun monster!

but with smaller machines there are far more job types, opportunities, place to go and operate.

If you always wanted to drive a tour bus, then have at it (it's WAY cooler at least).

Think: 20 minutes to load pax (vs 5-10 in any other), 20 min to refuel those huge tanks (vs 5-10 in any other), it's a very mx heavy bird, it's the most stable to fly (no tail rotor and has the most automated systems compared to the others) so it's the most boring to fly (i.e. it flies itself now).

It's certainly the safest (minus the 3 dual engine failures within a year in the '05-'06 timeframe between Iraq/Afghanistan + a CH-46 that also had a dual engine out; the 46 is it's slimmer cousin that's now retired) and it rarely has power issues.

It's the most laid-back community that generally uses common sense more than the others and with FAR less arrogance/stupidity.

Pro: You'll fly more instruments than other airframes (good for future jobs) Con: it's super stable and flies itself so when you transition to a small helicopter when you get out of the Army you'll have to relearn to handle a helicopter again and also actually have to use pedals (NOT an easy skill for 47 drivers to regain)

Everyone I talk to from that community says it's boring to fly since it's so easy (never think about power, cg, systems do everything, extra crew chiefs to help you, etc.)

Also, now that Afghanistan has folded up, it'll be back to boring CH-47 missions of the 80's-90's.  The only reason it had cool missions was because it had the power to do front-line missions at altitudes that the Slackhawks couldn't.

And don't let people tell you that you NEED to go 47's if you want to fly in TF in 47's.  TF will train you in what they need and they don't always give preference to what your assigned airframe was (this is, of course, a generalization, but I know a lot of Hawk guys that are TF 47 drivers now).  

Also, normal line-pilot 47 guys rarely land in water like you see on YouTube...

Day, in the water, I was at lake tholocco, or driving by it. It used to be part of the syllabus.

I did all my training on the civilian side. Flew lights, worked up to mediums and then onto heavy's. The company I work for transitioned me into the Chinook which we mainly use for fires with an odd ball construction job here or there. The 47 is an absolute Beast... redundant systems with tremendous power and a very clever AFCS system that can make you lazy. There is an option to turn your trim OFF which gives you the control feel of any other helicopter you've flown... and the feel is just as sensitive as any other. Despite the size she is unbelievably agile and very fast, Vne is 170kts... And No, you won't be flying IFR... the capability is there but name one job on the civilian side where you'd be flying a restricted category aircraf, IFR, with pax... Day VFR 99% of the time... good luck, you would thoroughly enjoy flying one given the opportunity.

 😂 

 there.  If you've never done fire fighting go get some experience.  You wouldn't be making comments like this for sure.  

No matter the machine or where it is flown, if it is flown for hire, it will be utilized to its limits, and sometimes, unfortunately, beyond.  

The mil/civ thing is largely not a factor other than the little green and then white tracers zipping by occasionally.  Never did deal with a manpad, thankfully.

Imagine.  The MH47 most advanced helicopter ever 

Just maybe on the external load experience.

The MH47 is in a class of its own, as to being the most advanced, for military purposes, I don't know because it is not in my military history, almost, as I was offered, but it didn't fit my circumstance.  

If you want an interesting project take a look at offshore SAR helicopters, the latest and greatest.

External loads under IMC were interesting.

We flew them IMC/IFR offshore SW Alaska, and, when British Airways had them on the North Sea they flew IMC/IFR all the time; of course when DT had one it flew IFR plenty.

High density loads, low density loads, aerodynamic loads, airborne halo Seal Teams & SF forces from around the world & static line real world ops, fast rope, airport & airliner assaults, aerial gunnery, tactical bridge ops, water assault ops, nuke warheads, new external load certifications, SAR cliffhanger rescues, instrument approaches (in IMC) with external loads breakout at minimums, VFR over the top 70+ miles with external loads (some would also classify that as IFR), endless internal loads with & without HICHS... and The Boeing Hilton sleeping ops.  No Drama.  A lot of it on vid & pic.  Try harder civi.  

Norm

Load 83

With all due respect to military guys. You can rattle off all the acronyms you want with all of your experience; but 100% of military guys I've seen try and vertically reference a long line - end up with a serving of humble pie...we all do when you go to learn that skill regardless of your past experience.

Nothing wrong with either mil or civ ops or pilots but one thing is for sure all machines are used to their limits which puts all pilots on the brink now and again.

Talking about which training produces the superior pilot is irrelevant, training to do a particular job is relevant.

Stick a mil pilot in to an S92 to do a 600' RVR approach to a floating rig at night with a 50 knot crosswind and just like first time long-lining, it ain't gonna happen.  Same thing civ trying to do military work.

So, let's just get along and learn from one another rather than huffing and puffing and whatever just as nonsensical.

purposely puffing the chest, reason no one takes you seriously whether all that is true or not, which all probably is.  

If you haven't gotten your feet in to civ ops you have a long road ahead.  

What one might be decorated for in the military reference flying skill is routine in civil ops.  

BTDT, if you haven't been on the other side of the coin, you have absolutely no idea.

Good luck.  

So many responses to this question are simply NOT made from reality.

Does it have systems to ease pilot workload? YES... Just as every military aircraft in the past 40 years.

Is it boring?  No way.  It is the fastest helicopter in the Army.  It has a peacetime mission.  It has great crews that become family.

Does it affect your employability when you look to civillian flying?  NO... Unless you want to fly chinooks in the civilian world, in that case, YES, you have a benefit.  But if you are looking to fly an ASTAR, 407, 135, 145, etc... it is VERY beneficial, it won't harm your chances of a job.  It may actually give you IFR and other time that other airframes don't have.  Aside from the observation mission, the CH47 has done EVERY mission of military helicopters.

it is a great aircraft and if people were realistic and honest, not a single person would have responded negatively towards it.

a negative response in the thread about the machine.  The perceived negative responses were just others trying to point out some differences between the mental approach required to work in the civil environment vs military.

We had "guns a go-go" in Vietnam but the hook just didn't do that well plus it was way too expensive a trade off to make it a gunship - very big target, poor relative maneuverability ref: any other gunship.  

Military flying is a big deal, been there.  But so is civilian and you can wind up a smoking hole in a heartbeat.  If one undertakes mil to civ it's important to recognize just how much you wind up being your own team and in many circumstances working with little to no support.  Is what it is.

Big deal is mil to civ requires an adjustment in one's approach to the work environment - this is not automatic and has to be accomplished to be effective and satisfied with the work.  If you're not willing to go down that road stay in the military as long as you want to fly helicopters.