21 September 2026 marks 65 years since the first flight of the prototype that led to the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Boeing and the US Army date the YCH-1B prototype (later YCH-47A) to 21 September 1961, in the Philadelphia area. The tandem-rotor layout uses engine power for lift, without a conventional tail rotor.

The fuselage and rear ramp were designed for troops, equipment and bulky loads. The US Army took delivery of the first production aircraft in 1962. Payload, speed and range differ between the prototype, the CH-47A and later variants, including the CH-47F. The figures are not mixed.

The Chinook has been used in military, logistical and humanitarian missions. A supply flight is not a combat mission; the context is stated. The model has been upgraded in stages and adopted by several operators. Boeing describes it as one of its longest-running production programmes.

The 65-year mark is the first-flight date, not a retirement from service. This account does not invent a 2026 ceremony and does not give the 1961 prototype the specifications of a Block II aircraft.

The source is Boeing’s 60-year release and US Army material on the same date. If the photograph is from the archive, it carries the variant and year.

21 September 1961, tandem rotors, 65 years. The prototype is not a CH-47F.

Image: CPT Peter Smedberg, CH-47F Chinook on a test flight, US Army, public domain. A modern variant, not the 1961 prototype.

Source consulted: Boeing Celebrates 60th Anniversary of Chinook First Flight.