YOU may have heard it before you saw it – another military helicopter took flight over Warrington.

An RAF ZD575 Chinook helicopter was sighted flying north over Stockton Heath yesterday afternoon, Monday.

A resident reported the sighting, stating the pilot used a call sign ‘Airwolf1’ to communicate with another of its type flying in the same vicinity.

A statement was issued by the Royal Air Force addressing a recent rise in military helicopters flying in the area.

In response, the Royal Air Force said all flights were routine training, with any increase being purely coincidental.

An RAF spokesman said: “These are all routine training sorties.

“The frequency of these flights and where they are conducted does vary.

“The increase in the Warrington area is coincidental.”

It comes as the UK will get 14 new Chinook helicopters; the Ministry of Defence has announced.

Britain negotiated the price down by £300million for the fleet of US-made, heavy-lift helicopters, which can carry 10,000 kg of cargo.