Night-flying over Benson could be reduced when a new fleet of helicopters relocates to its RAF base.

Some of Britain’s Chinooks, which are currently based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, are set to move to the village.

Members of Benson Parish Council met with representatives from the base on January 19 to discuss the plans. Pilots and engineers will be retrained to work on the Chinooks. Its current fleet of Merlins will be converted for use at sea and transferred to the Royal Navy.

Council chairman Bill Pattison said: “The Chinooks will need to do circuits but they need less night time flying, given their different role, so they won’t need to be out so much in the evenings unlike the Merlins. The base will essentially become for Chinooks and Pumas.”

Mr Pattison said there were talks to relocate the aircraft in 2014, although a final date has not been confirmed.




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NIGHT flights over Benson could be reduced when a new fleet of helicopters relocates to the RAF base by 2014.

Members of Benson Parish Council met with representatives of the base to discuss the plans to move some of Britain’s Chinooks from RAF Odiham in Hampshire.

Pilots and engineers will be retrained to work on the Chinooks while the current fleet of Merlins will be converted for use at sea and transferred to the Royal Navy.

Council chairman Bill Pattison said: “The Chinooks will need to do circuits but they need less night-time flying, given their different role, so they won’t need to be out as much in the evenings as the Merlins.”

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Published on 08 February 2010