Joint Helicopter Support Squadron

Joint Helicopter Support Squadron The Helicopter Handling Specialists of the United Kingdom Armed Forces Joint Aviation Command.

01/06/2026

As part of the work-up period for the PDA, the demonstrated the CH-47’s impressive heavy-lift capability with a Land Rover on the aft hook and a 105mm Light Gun on the forward hook.

With the 2026 display season on the horizon, serials like these showcase the versatility of the aircraft and the expertise required to safely deliver complex underslung loads. It’s a capability we’re proud to support, helping demonstrate one of the RAF Chinook’s most impressive operational roles.

31/05/2026

A Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook, crewed by the arrives onto the Load Park to conduct an underslung load serial.🚁🪝

26/05/2026

As one of the hottest days of the year so far, a Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook closes in on the ground team for another serial under clear blue skies.☀️

From the moment the aircraft approaches, every movement between the aircrew and ground team matters. The static probe raised by the team not only signals that the ground crew are ready, but also provides a visual reference for the No 1 Crewman in the centre hatch as the aircraft positions overhead.

Simple actions, solid teamwork and constant repetition of the fundamentals keep both the ground team and aircrew current and ready for underslung load operations.🚁🪝

20/05/2026

A Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook repositions overhead of the ground team, filling the sky with nothing but bladeslap!🚁👋🏻

17/05/2026

A Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook holds steady high in the hover with a GS Flatrack secured to the aft hook via a long strop.

Simple hook-ups like this may look routine, but they remain absolutely foundational to underslung load operations. Working across different load types, rigging configurations and equipment broadens the experience of the ground teams, keeping both aircrew and JHSS personnel proficient across the full spectrum of USL tasking.

Every serial on the load park builds the knowledge, confidence and precision needed for more complex lifts down the line.🚁🪝

16/05/2026

Triple underslung loads may be considered one of the foundations of USL operations, but they still demand the same levels of precision, communication and teamwork every time the aircraft moves overhead.

With a long strop configured to the aft hook, a shorter strop on the centre and a direct hook forward, both the ground crew and aircrew continually rehearse the basics that underpin more complex serials later down the line.

As the Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook positions itself over the loads, the No.2 crewman maintains observation while the Landing Point Commander (LPC) oversees the movement from the ground, ensuring the aircraft and ground team remain aligned throughout the serial.

Simple in principle. Foundational in practice.🚁🪝

13/05/2026

A Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook lifting off from the load park with strops attached to both the forward and aft hooks. Simple serial on paper, but one that keeps both JHSS ground crews and aircrew current on the foundations of underslung load operations.

Regular drills like this maintain confidence in hook configurations, communication, aircraft positioning and load procedures before progressing onto more complex taskings.

Once the aircraft lifted, it repositioned to line up for a netted load on the aft and a 105 Gun on the forward strop, building on those same core skills that underpin every underslung lift conducted on operations and exercises alike.🚁🪝

12/05/2026

A Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook conducting a triple underslung load serial with a 5 metre strop on the aft hook, 2.5 metre on the centre and a direct hook on the forward.

Training across different configurations is a key foundation of underslung load operations, helping both JHSS ground crew and aircrew maintain the skills needed to move loads safely and effectively.🚁🪝

Throwback to January 2023 🇪🇪Deployed to Estonia alongside NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, Joint Helicopter...
06/05/2026

Throwback to January 2023 🇪🇪

Deployed to Estonia alongside NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, Joint Helicopter Support Squadron supported a series of demanding aviation serials during Exercise WINTER CAMP.

Working alongside British, French, Danish and Estonian forces, RAF CH-47 Chinooks conducting a underslung load with No.12 Close Support Bridge moving a 6.6 tonne bridge section measuring over 13 metres in length. A rare and challenging serial that demanded precision from both the aircrew and the ground teams beneath the aircraft.

Operating in freezing temperatures and difficult terrain, JHSS personnel assisted in enabling the rapid movement of engineering equipment across the battlefield, helping forces maintain mobility across Estonia’s boglands and harsh winter environment.

A capability built around teamwork, communication and precision. Moving heavy engineering equipment quickly to where it’s needed most.

Storm building over the load park.⛈️CVRT in the foreground, a RAF CH-47 Chinook holding in the hover behind. Just anothe...
04/05/2026

Storm building over the load park.⛈️

CVRT in the foreground, a RAF CH-47 Chinook holding in the hover behind. Just another day, just a better backdrop than most.

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Wallingford
OX106AA

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