Swan Song - Fly Army Series (CH-47F Chinook)

Join us for a special moment, the final flight of a very senior Chinook Pilot.
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CW5 Rob Devlin was perhaps the senior most Active Duty “Hooker” in the U.S. Army at the time of his retirement. Originally a Huey mechanic in Desert Storm, he’s been Hookin’ since the 90s with the vast majority of that time spent with the 101st (specifically Varsity, which he considers to be the best Chinook company of all time). His short stature, bald head and iconic bushy white mustache have earned him a number of nicknames (such as ‘Mr. Monopoly Man’), but none have been quite as appropriate as “The Lorax” since after nearly three decades serving as an MTP, ME, IE, & SP, he most certainly “speaks for the Chinooks”. Any amount of time spent with Rob is guaranteed to include him regaling you with a fascinating (or crazy) story about the Hooker days of old. As a prideful 47 driver, it was an honor for me to shoot his final flight in the Army.
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~~Music~~
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
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~~Equipment~~
Camera - Canon EOS R5
Lenses - Canon 16-35 f/2.8 III, Canon 24-70 f/2.8 II, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 II

[@vanessaeckhardt9457]

Hey, that’s my dad! Love this video so much.

[@tedfred2565]

Flew the C & D models 84 to 91...miss it dearly can not thank you enough for make the extraordinary video and my greatest congratulations and honor to the man that it represents & all who have served on these amazing aircraft... It made me relive many moments. God bless you and God bless America.. Amen ❤

[@GIJared]

Honored to fly with you Rob! Hope you are having a great retirement!

[@devonchambers7569]

Well done, CW5 Devlin. May your retirement be long and happy...and thank you!! Another story eloquently told. Thank you for sharing this with all of us.

[@CollectiveFX]

i see Chinook. i click. Thank you for making this beautiful content.

[@davidkuhn9736]

Austin, been following your vids since your days in Highland Falls. They never fail to grip the viewer. This viewer remains such a fan of your composition, subject matter, and talent. Wishing you well. Keep on doing what you do so well!

[@eroildo.3374]

HONORED YOU ALWAYS 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲💯NEW YORK 😊

[@stuartjobling9360]

Awesome platform the mighty wokka wokka wokka 💪 💪well done sir, from a serving brit 🇬🇧😎

[@BryanLake-ds5ky]

A legend! Doubt the Army will see another 47 pilot as knowledgeable as him.

[@robihobby9490]

😥👍 Nice Video, even makes me a little sad becauseTime flies so quickly.

[@JBrown-l8x]

You've come a long way Rob! Enjoy whatever follows!!

[@aquatixofficial7868]

Bro I love your videos, need to post more.

[@17hunter00]

Awesome, crazy to think how well he knows that aircraft. Congrats

[@IntrepidTactics]

Nice video. It's crazy how long some of those old timer helicopter pilots in the Army stay in. Great to talk to though, they're a wealth of knowledge. There's been a lot of war between Desert Storm and now too - bet that guy has some stories.

[@TrekieGal]

Great Job CW5 Devlin! Fairest of fair winds Sir. Austin, great job with the video. You got this old band buddie to tear up a little remembering my Army memories.

[@meetori5175]

thank you for sharing your story. god bless you and god bless the USA!