Hair-raising moment RAF Chinook pilot shows incredible skill by hovering just inches above the water to drop off Royal Marines in dramatic training exercise

Published: 13:55, 18 July 2026 | Updated: 13:57, 18 July 2026 An RAF pilot shocked onlookers with their flying skills as they hovered a Chinook helicopter mere inches above the water during a training exercise.  The wheels of the support aircraft appeared to graze the surface of the sea, while a group of Royal Marines in a RIB were lowered into the sea at dusk.  The drill took place in Poole Harbour, Dorset, where the Special Boat Service (SBS) - a special forces unit for the Royal Navy - is based.  The Chinook is used primarily to support the transportation of troops, resupply and evacuate casualties.  Armed with self-defence systems, it can carry up to 55 troops and/or 10 tonnes of cargo.  Lewis Johnstone, 21, captured the hair-raising moment on Wednesday.  Mr Johnstone, who works for a military company, said: 'It's always incredible to watch our amazing Armed Forces training and see the skill and professionalism they demonstrate.' 'Wow, what an evening! I was hoping to capture the Chinook departing after seeing it arrive on the radar, but instead I was treated to a training exercise,' the photographer added. The wheels of the Chinook helicopter appeared to graze the surface of the sea during the training exercise The dramatic moment took place in Poole Harbour, Dorset, where the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) - a special forces unit for the Royal Navy - is based The support aircraft hovered mere inches above the water, while a group of Royal Marines in a RIB were lowered into the sea at dusk Chinook helicopters are Boeing CH-47 tandem-rotor helicopters, initially manufactured by Vertol and now under Boeing Defense, Space and Security 'It's always incredible to watch our amazing Armed Forces training and see the skill and professionalism they demonstrate. A fantastic experience to witness and photograph.' Chinook helicopters are Boeing CH-47 tandem-rotor helicopters, initially manufactured by Vertol and now under Boeing Defense, Space and Security.  They are the second-heaviest lifting Western helicopter, behind the Sikorsky CH-53, and are used in active service in both the US and UK.  The UK has an inventory of 54 Chinooks, having first been brought into service for the UK Ministry of Defence in 1981. In April, a three-year £879million contract was granted to Boeing Defence UK to maintain and support the RAF's Chinook helicopters and the British Army's Apache attack helicopters.  The SBS, formerly known as the Special Boat Squadron, has been stationed at Royal Marines Base Poole in Hamworthy, Dorset, for decades. Formed around the same time as the better-known Special Air Service (SAS) during the Second World War, the unit is the elite force of the Royal Navy.  It is made up of almost entirely personnel from the Royal Marines, alongside several frontline female recruits.