A Chinook helicopter from the Army, belonging to the BHELTRA V and based in Colmenar Viejo, has carried out a recovery operation for a Guardia Civil aircraft in the Sierra de Gredos. The Civil Guard's aircraft sustained damage after a landing maneuver in an area of difficult access, near the Victory refuge.
The unusual sight of a Chinook carrying another helicopter suspended beneath its structure was the solution employed to remove the damaged aircraft from the mountain. This type of heavy-lift and external load helicopter demonstrated its capability to lift and transport the accident-involved aircraft from its challenging location.
The maneuver required joint preparation between personnel from the Army's Aeromobile Forces (FAMET) and Guardia Civil technicians. The aircraft was prepared before the transport began, a precision operation that necessitated securing the helicopter for its aerial transfer.
Footage released by the Army highlights the complexity of the operation, where the size of the aircraft and the terrain characteristics demanded extreme precision. This aerial solution resolved a logistical problem that would have been significantly more complicated to address by ground means.
This is not the first time such an operation has been conducted in Gredos. In 2013, a similar aerial recovery of a Guardia Civil helicopter took place near the same Victory refuge. More than a decade later, the situation has repeated, underscoring the direct link of the BHELTRA V with Madrid, as its base is in Colmenar Viejo.
