Chinook Display

Day 1 at Cosford complete. Final rehearsal prior to display on Sunday! Excited to show you all what we have in store for this season!

Introducing the team!

The team captain this year is Flt Lt Cal Pearson.

Cal, originally from Middlesborough, joined the RAF in October 2010. After completing Initial Officer Training in 2011, he began holding at various units, including RAF Waddington and RAF High Wycombe, before assuming the role of Typhoon Display Manager on 29 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Coningsby.

In Jan 2014, Cal moved to RAF Wyton to start his flying career, where he completed Elementary Flying Training on the Grob Tutor. Streamed rotary, he completed Single- and Multi-Engine Rotary Wing Training at RAF Shawbury on the Squirrel and Griffin. He received his wings in 2016.

Upon completion of the Chinook Operational Conversion Unit in Sep 2018, he was posted to the frontline at RAF Odiham. Cal has over 2000 flying hours, with over 1400 on Chinook. He has completed numerous operational deployments and has flown in multiple countries including USA & Cyprus. He is a Qualified Helicopter Instructor on the Squadron.

Cal is married to his wife Abbie, and they have two children together, Alyssia and Oakley. In his spare time, he enjoys football and going to the gym.

Final preparations have been made, the Station Commander has given his approval and we our on our way to Cosford! Can’t wait to bring the this Sunday! Get your big orange hands ready to give us a big wave back

Before we fly up to Cosford this afternoon, meet Sgt ‘Woody’ Woodward and Sgt Mal King who are operating in the cabin on Sunday.
Woody, born and raised in under the bright Blackpool lights, he joined the RAF Apr 2012 as an RAF Regiment Gunner. He later re traded to a WSOp in 2015, flying on the King Air, Squirrel and Griffin. He completed the Chinook OCU in 2018 and was posted to 18 (B) Sqn at RAF Odiham where he still serves today. Woody has deployed on numerous overseas exercises and seen operational service on Op SHADER, Op HERRICK in Afghanistan and Op NEWCOMBE in Mali. Woody is a Survival Instructor and Crewman Trainer and is keen to contribute to the next generation of the Chinook Force.
Away from work Woody is a keen wargamer and board game player. He is a Land Rover enthusiast, who enjoys the outdoors and is often out camping or walking his dog.
Mal was born and raised on the Kwa-Zulu Natal South Coast of South Africa and moved to the United Kingdom in September 2003.
He joined the Army Air Corps in June 2004 initially as Ground Crew but re-traded as a Crewman on the Lynx Mk7 in 2011. He served on numerous Op tours in Afghanistan and Kenya before being posted to Northern Ireland to fly on the Army’s fixed wing platform, Islander and Defender, doing manned airborne surveillance.
In 2019 he had the opportunity to come across to the RAF on the Chinook for a 4-year exchange and officially transferred to the RAF in Jun 2021. After completing the Short Course on the OCU at RAF Benson he was posted to 18(B) Sqn in December 2019. He has completed Op tours in Mali, the Middle East, North Macedonia and Estonia.
Mal is the 18(B) Sqn lead Crew Served Weapons Instructor. He has accumulated over 2000 hours of which 900 are on the Chinook.
Mal lives in Burghfield with his wife and 2 kids. He is a keen squash player and has represented the Army and RAF and currently plays in the Berkshire squash league. He is a self-confessed coffee snob and is often seen washing his cars on the weekend.