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Four squadrons are based at RAF Odiham:
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| 7 Squadron JSFAW*
Motto: By Day and by Night |
18(B) Squadron
Motto: With courage and faith |
27 Squadron
Motto: With all speed to the Stars |
657 Squadron JSFAW*
Motto: By Land and Sky |
Aircraft:
The Three Squadrons of Chinook currently have the Mk2,Mk3 and Mk4 newly into service helicopter.
In 2000 the Army brought another helicopter type to Odiham, 657 Sqn moved four or five Lynx helicopters
to the base where they share a hangar with 7 Sqn.
Airfield Details: The airfield has two runway's 09/27(main) and 05/23(disused) with the latter being used for short landing close to the hangars for quick crew changes.
Although the Chinook is ideal for carrying up to 44 fully equipped troops from A to B quite easily, another of
it's roles is to carry under slung loads (USL's), so an area to the Southside of 27 threshold known as the tactical
load park or "tac park" has been created to allow crews to practice picking up a variety of loads ranging from a
couple of 45 gallon drums in a net through to a 20ft ISO container weighing about 7 ton's.
Also on the Southside of the runway is the Southern refuel area, crews have the ability to practice rotors running refuelling (RRRF) from a military refuel vehicle parked along side, this can be used on exercise where the helicopter would have to land in remote areas away from airbases to refuel.
The airfield can provide crews with night vision goggle NVG training as well. Lights set into the grass either side of the runway, known as the Northern and Southern T's, guide the pilot to dropping off a USL or landing at a precise point. The use of these landing points on the airfield means that the crew can carry out a great deal of training within the confines of the airfield boundary.
