Submerged in the sand in Mali
Corporal Lace has recently returned from Mali on Operation NEWCOMBE where he led the Helicopter Handling Team as part of the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron there
Corporal Lace has recently returned from Mali, where he led the Helicopter Handling Team as part of the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron there.
“Even with hearing protection, the deep distinctive ‘Wokka, Wokka’ of the rotors is all encompassing, felt in your chest as much as it is heard.”
The support of the Chinook force is an important part of the French operation. Their missions cover a range of tasks from large-scale troop moves, VIP transport and under-slinging armoured fighting vehicles.
The UK Armed Forces have been deployed on Operation NEWCOMBE (CH-47) in Mali since 2013.
Supervising the team that builds and hooks up underslung loads for the Chinooks forms a significant part of Corporal Lace’s role. The conditions in Mali create their own additional challenges.
- In Pictures: 3,000 hours in the Malian skies
- Operation NEWCOMBE Explained: Peacekeeping in Mali
- 26 months in the sand: Reflections of Mali
Find out more about Corporal Lace’s work in Mali👇
What were your first thoughts of Mali?
“The first thing that hits you as you step off the aircraft is the heat. It’s something that you have to acclimatise to quite quickly, it never seems to go away.
In 2018, the Royal Air Force deployed three Chinook (CH-47) helicopters to provide logistical heavy airlift support to the French counter-terror mission in the region — Operation BARKHANE.
Can you describe what it is like when a Chinook comes in to land?
“We’ll see the blades turning and then watch it taxi out. The crew will finish their checks and fly over to the pick-up area, stopping short hovering about 40m out. You can see a wall of sand, then as they’re ready to come into our location the wall of sand creeps towards you until you are engulfed by it.
“As the wall of red dust envelops you and everything changes colour, chunks of gravel are picked up by the downwash and sent hurtling into the distance. Even with hearing protection, the deep distinctive ‘Wokka, Wokka’ of the rotors is all encompassing, felt in your chest as much as it is heard.
How are the underslung loads hooked onto the Chinook?
“The Chinook will come down to about 6 or 7 feet, then we’ll hook up and move carefully out of the way. No matter the environment, static electricity building up on the airframe is a real danger. In this extremely dusty environment it is amplified. One member of the team has the vital task of earthing the airframe whilst the other hooks on the load. Often you can physically see the spark, sometimes a couple of inches long.
“Along with the gravel comes the dust. Fine particles that seem to cover everything, turning all it touches into a shade of orange. It’s hard to describe, but it’s so fine it gets into your eyes, your nose, you breathe it, eat it. Imagine working in orange talcum powder.
Since 2018, the Chinook (CH-47) helicopters have clocked up over 3,000 hours of flying time in support of the operation.
“I’m proud of my small team, they’re operating to a larger team’s standard, able to complete any task that comes our way.”
— Corporal Lace
Why did you join the Royal Air Force?
“I signed up because I wanted to travel. Since joining the RAF in 2009, I have deployed all around the world from the jungles of Belize to Eastern Europe. This isn’t my first time deploying out to Africa either.”
Corporal Lace has played an important role in the work of the Armed Forces in support of the French operation in Mali, making sure that the Chinooks are able to operate to the very best of their abilities.
