The first two German Air Force pilots recently received their type rating for the CH-47F Chinook. Following 14 weeks of rigorous theoretical and practical training at Fort Novosel in Alabama, they were certified on 10 July. In the coming months, these pilots will undergo additional courses to qualify as flight instructors on the CH-47 and will subsequently serve as teaching staff at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE) in Fort Novosel.
Alongside five other German flight instructors, who will commence their training at Fort Novosel in the spring of 2025, they will train American and international student pilots on the CH-47 over the next three years. Colonel Christian Guntsch, the Air Force Inspector’s representative for the CH-47 programme, highlighted the significant advantage of selecting a widely-used helicopter model. “We can integrate our teaching staff early into the U.S. Army’s training facility, allowing us to gain valuable experience with the helicopter model before its introduction in Germany,” Guntsch noted.
In July 2023, the Bundeswehr ordered a total of 60 Boeing CH-47F Block II SR AAR helicopters for the Air Force. The first of these rotorcraft are scheduled for delivery in 2027.