Boeing Lifetime Achievement Award

The Boeing awards ceremony, held at RAF Odiham in November 2022, has awarded Flt Lt Carl ‘Zak’ Zarecky the Boeing Lifetime Achievement award. This is in recognition of his dedication, professionalism, and selfless commitment over 25 years of service on the UK Chinook Force.

Over those years, Flt Lt Zarecky has achieved 5000 flying hours operating the Chinook, an achievement made more impressive being completed on a single aircraft type.

Operated across four Royal Air Force Squadrons, the Chinook is well known to RAF Benson & Odiham, with Flt Lt Zarecky also serving across the “Full Set” of Squadrons: 7, 18, 27 & 28 (AC). Not content with this, Flt Lt Zarecky has spent time as a chinook display pilot and utilised his experiences to teach future aircrews as an examiner before taking on Command Instrument Rating Examiner at Joint Helicopter Command Aviation Standards.

Away on operations he has operated in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, North Indian Ocean, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as exercises in Norway, The Falkland Islands and Morocco.

He is responsible, in his current role on 28 Sqn, for providing training to new and returning Qualified Helicopter Instructors (QHIs). This role allows Flt Lt Zarecky to impart his knowledge on the future instructors, ensuring that for years to come his impact will be truly felt right across the whole spectrum of Chinook operations.