Recorded interview with Flight Lieutenant Eleanor Lodge, 23 October 2025

Eleanor Lodge served as an RAF Chinook pilot and describes her experience of deployments to Afghanistan, including an account of casualty evacuation flights with the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT).

Eleanor Lodge describes her experience of training as an RAF Chinook pilot and outlines the Chinook’s crew, roles, performance and handling. She describes her experience of deployments to Afghanistan, including the challenges posed by climate and terrain and detail on casualty evacuation flights with the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT). She comments on her experience of changes in operations in Afghanistan over time and the increasing sophistication of medical treatment.