Boeing Chinook News from Greece

 

 

         

 

 

             1 October 2017, SUMMIT, DELAWARE: Over the course of the years 2016 - 2017, the Greek government purchased 10 former U.S. Army CH-47D Chinook helicopters and had them repaired, modified and painted by Summit Aviation at Summit Airport (KEVY), Delaware. Below are the airframes listed by the former U.S. Army tailnumber and then the newer assigned Greek tailnumber. In the tailnumber are the letters EΣ (Epsilon Sigma) which stands for Greek Army.

 

 

          90-00209            EΣ 924
          90-00221            EΣ 921
          91-00231            EΣ 923
          91-00243            EΣ 926
          91-00252            EΣ 922
          91-00254            EΣ 929
          91-00255            EΣ 925
          91-00257            EΣ 927
          92-00285            EΣ 930
          92-00368            EΣ 928

 

             Of the hundreds of D model airframes that were processed through the facility at Summit, Delaware, only a handful of airframes were in a condition of acceptable repair. The vast majority possessed significant issues that deemed them too expensive to repair (worn out engine mounts, cracked or voided floor beams, extensive sheet metal damage and corrosion to name a few). The Greek budget of $150 million simply would not allow for the planned acquisition of the desired 15 former U.S. Army airframes.

 

             The newly purchased airframes will join the rest of the fleet stationed at Megara Airport (LGMG), Megara, Greece.

 

 

         

 

         
13 June 2017, SUMMIT, DELAWARE: A Greek CH-47D Chinook helicopter, formerly a U.S. Army CH-47D, rolls out of a paint shop.

             13 JUNE 2017, SUMMIT, DELAWARE: A Greek CH-47D Chinook helicopter, formerly a U.S. Army CH-47D, rolls out of a paint shop operated by Summit Aviation. EΣ 929 was one aircraft in a 10 to 15 aircraft buy by the Greek goverment of former U.S. Amy CH-47D airframes for approxiamtely 150 million U.S. dollars. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

         
13 June 2017, SUMMIT, DELAWARE: The identification data painted on the side of EΣ 929.

             13 June 2017, SUMMIT, DELAWARE: The identification data painted on the side of EΣ 929. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

         
13 June 2017, SUMMIT, DELAWARE: A Greek CH-47D Chinook helicopter, formerly a U.S. Army CH-47D, rolls out of a paint shop.

             13 JUNE 2017, SUMMIT, DELAWARE: Still in a state of flux, the cockpit of EΣ 929 is shown. Eventually the instruments and radios to be utilized by the Greek forces will be installed. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

         

 

         
European Union (EU) delegation members arrive in a Greek Army Chinook helicopter as it hovers over the golf course of the Porto Carras Resort in Porto Carras, Greece. European leaders arrived at the heavily guarded coastal resort Thursday to start a three-day summit on illegal immigration. Seen in background is the town of Neos Marmaras.

 

             19 June 2003: Above: European Union (EU) delegation members arrive in a Greek Army Chinook helicopter as it hovers over the golf course of the Porto Carras Resort in Porto Carras, Greece on Thursday. European leaders arrived at the heavily guarded coastal resort Thursday to start a three-day summit to debate illegal immigration. Seen in background is the town of Neos Marmaras. Below: A Greek military Chinook helicopter flies over the Porto Carras Resort in Porto Carras, Greece.

 

         
A Greek military Chinook helicopter flies over the Porto Carras Resort in Porto Carras, Greece.

 

         

 

         
Greek special forces jump out of a Chinook helicopter as they conduct an exercise at the military camp of Nea Peramos, 20 miles west of Athens on Monday. Greece's elite special forces held land and sea exercises as U.S. and Greek troops plan to stage joint exercises in Greece beginning in March as part of security preparations for the Athens Olympic Games. Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, attending the exhibition, told reporters that NATO countries are involved in the security planning of the August 13-29 Games, and will be ready to intervene if a crisis erupts.

 

             12 January 2004: Greek special forces jump out of a Chinook helicopter as they conduct an exercise at the military camp of Nea Peramos, 20 miles west of Athens on Monday. Greece's elite special forces held land and sea exercises as U.S. and Greek troops plan to stage joint exercises in Greece beginning in March as part of security preparations for the Athens Olympic Games. Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, attending the exhibition, told reporters that NATO countries are involved in the security planning of the 13-29 August 2004 Games, and will be ready to intervene if a crisis erupts.

 

         
Greek special forces jump out of a Chinook helicopter as they conduct an exercise at the military camp of Nea Peramos, 20 miles west of Athens on Monday. Greece's elite special forces held land and sea exercises as U.S. and Greek troops plan to stage joint exercises in Greece beginning in March as part of security preparations for the Athens Olympic Games. Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, attending the exhibition, told reporters that NATO countries are involved in the security planning of the August 13-29 Games, and will be ready to intervene if a crisis erupts.

 

         

 

         
Three CH-47D Chinooks provided support for the 2004 Olympics to be held in Greece this year. The massive Chinook helicopters transported the Olympic Torch throughout the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea during the week long event from 21 to 27 June 2004.

 

             27 June 2004: Three CH-47D Chinooks provided support for the 2004 Olympics to be held in Greece this year. The massive Chinook helicopters transported the Olympic Torch throughout the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea during the week long event from 21 to 27 June 2004. The three helicopters involved were tail numbers ES 913, ES 914, and ES 915.

 

         

 

         
Greek Army special forces jump from a Chinook CH-47 helicopter during an Olympic security exercise at the islet of Nea Platia, near Athens, as the sun was setting. Massive Olympic security measures began going into effect on Thursday, 1 July 2004.

 

             Wednesday, 30 June 2004: Greek Army special forces jump from a Chinook CH-47 helicopter during an Olympic security exercise at the islet of Nea Platia, near Athens, as the sun was setting. Massive Olympic security measures began going into effect on Thursday, 1 July 2004.

 

         

 

          Chinook Crashes in Greece

 

 

             11 September 2004: It was a very sad day today in Greece. A CH-47D Chinook helicopter has crashed today off the coasts of Mount Athos in Chalkidiki northern Greece.

             The five crewmembers of the Chinook, tail number ES 916, were Major Papanastasiou, Warrant Officer Raptis, Platoon Sergeant Pantelis Hatzivangelis, First Sergeant Panagiotis Golegos, and Army Air Force Helicopter Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Dimitris Papaspirou.

             On board the helicopter was Patriarch Petros of Alexandria and All of Africa, Metropolite Erineos of Pilousiou, Metropolite Chrisostomos of Karthagena, Bishop Nektarios of Madagascar, Holy Monastery of Machera Prior Archimandrite Arsenios, Archimandrite Kallistratos Economou, Deacon Nektarios Kontogiorgos, the Patriarch's legal adviser Georgios Mavros, the Patriarch's technical adviser Patroklos Papastefanou, press adviser Georgios Xenoudakis, the Patriarch's brother Georgios Papapetrou and the Patriarch's personal police guard Spiridon Koursaris.

             Rescue crews are at the scene of the crash and are in the process of collecting the bodies of the victims.

             Regarding the weather conditions at the time of the crash, Army General Staff Chief Lieutenant General Nikolaos Douvas said that visibility was good, adding that the helicopter was new and was received by the military about a year-and-a-half ago.

   The crash of the crash has not been determined.

 

             In a related story, read about the loss of another CH-47 on this date in history: 74-22292.

 

         

 

          "Dolphin 05"

 

 

         
Members of an elite Greek Navy unit jump from a Chinook helicopter to a raft in the Mirtoo sea during a military exercise. The one-day "Dolphin 05" exercise was conducted by Navy, Army and Airforce units at Saronic Gulf and Mirtoo Sea south of Athens.

 

             Friday, 3 June 2005: Members of an elite Greek Navy unit jump from a Chinook helicopter to a raft in the Mirtoo sea during a military exercise. The one-day "Dolphin 05" exercise was conducted by Navy, Army and Airforce units at Saronic Gulf and Mirtoo Sea south of Athens.

 

         
Members of an elite Greek Navy unit jump from a Chinook helicopter to a raft in the Mirtoo sea during a military exercise. The one-day "Dolphin 05" exercise was conducted by Navy, Army and Airforce units at Saronic Gulf and Mirtoo Sea south of Athens.

 

         

 

         
Chinook helicopters fly over Parthenon, on the ancient Acropolis during a parade in Athens on Saturday, commemorating Greek Independence Day. The national holiday marks the start of Greece's 1821 war of indepedence against the 400-year Ottoman rule.

 

             25 March 2006: Chinook helicopters fly over the Parthenon during a parade in Athens commemorating Greek Independence Day. The national holiday marks the start of Greece's 1821 war of indepedence against the Ottoman's 400-year rule.

 

 

          Related Information

 

          Tail Number History

 

 

          The CH-47 - 40 years old and still circling the world.

         

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