Chinook Driver

An RAF Pilot’s Story from Northern Ireland to Bosnia and Kosovo

By Paul "Foo" Kennard

DUE OUT JUNE 2026

Hardback - 256pp - 234 x 156mm. 16-page photo section.

World Rights - Fighting High Ltd. ISBN - 9781919271415

Paul "Foo" Kennard began his RAF career dreaming of fast jets, but fate placed him in the cockpit of the Chinook – the workhorse helicopter that became his gateway to the front line.

From the tense streets of Northern Ireland to the fractured landscapes of Bosnia and the embattled skies of Kosovo, Kennard and his crews flew missions that were as unpredictable as they were vital. The Chinook lifted troops into danger, hauled supplies across treacherous terrain, and carried the wounded to safety – often under fire, and always under pressure.

Told with honesty and sharp wit, Chinook Driver captures the exhilaration and intensity of rotary flying in combat zones, as well as the quiet moments of humour, frustration, and camaraderie that defined squadron life. Beyond the action, Kennard reflects on the challenges of operating in politically complex conflicts where peace was fragile and the stakes high.

This is more than a pilot’s tale of flying Britain’s most iconic helicopter. It is a revealing, human account of serving during an era when the RAF was repeatedly called upon to deliver under extraordinary circumstances.

Fast-paced, candid, and often darkly funny, Chinook Driver takes readers inside the cockpit and behind the headlines, showing what it meant to serve – and to fly – in the uncertain conflicts of the late Twentieth Century.

Paul "Foo" Kennard is a highly experienced former RAF Chinook pilot who served operationally in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. A Qualified Helicopter Tactics Instructor and Electronic Warfare Instructor, he also worked on operational evaluation, tactics development, and capability upgrades for the UK Chinook force. Since leaving the RAF, Paul has advised governments, militaries, and aerospace companies through his consultancy, Ascalon. He lectures on rotorcraft survivability at the UK Defence Academy, serves on NATO and Vertical Flight Society committees, and is an award-winning aviation journalist and editor, recognised internationally for his contributions to rotorcraft operations and writing.