Banner Towing by Helicopter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Western Canada
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Have flown the "airplane style" banner. Full bridal on a 600 foot line. Not the weighted style sling load shown in the video. It was 10,000 square feet (seriously!!). The static weight of the thing was 150 pounds. We flew around for at 40 to 50 knots all day long. A little tricky to land!! but rather uneventful. day 3, to burn some hours before a retorque...took it out with an AS350 (with a load cell). 40 knots equalled 400 to 500 pounds. 60 knots was almost 1000 lbs!! That was the end of the R44 days! The problem really lies in the winds and where you might divert to when you cant get home with a 10,000 foot sail. (i can see many of you thinking how big is 10K....80'x125' BIG!)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: New Zealand
Age: 65
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Brave man flying the 'aeroplane banner' style banners!!! You should seriously consider what you are getting yourself into after the Long Beach incident a year or so ago!! I'm not suprised it is difficult to land, they are called aeroplane banners as they are designed for aeroplanes or non-tail rotor aircraft. Aeroplane banners flying up into the tail rotor is never a good idea.
To conclude....'aeroplane banners' designed for aeroplanes, used by aeroplane people. Aeroplane people should not be teaching or training helicopter people to fly them. Have you ever considered what would happen to the un-weighted banner if you had to enter an auto. Have the aeroplane people selling you these banners ever run through or tested that scenario??
Just looking out for Helicopter people...and thought i'd have my five pence worth.
These people seem to know what they are doing and also are run by helicopter specialists. Hobs Banners - Welcome to Hobsbanners
To conclude....'aeroplane banners' designed for aeroplanes, used by aeroplane people. Aeroplane people should not be teaching or training helicopter people to fly them. Have you ever considered what would happen to the un-weighted banner if you had to enter an auto. Have the aeroplane people selling you these banners ever run through or tested that scenario??
Just looking out for Helicopter people...and thought i'd have my five pence worth.
These people seem to know what they are doing and also are run by helicopter specialists. Hobs Banners - Welcome to Hobsbanners
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: the one less travelled
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I second the above post - the banner system in place by HOBs is an amazingingly simple and effective bit of kit, having seen it in person.
Granted you're slower than normal - but you're high..and the way that thing drops it's balast, and the banner curls around the longline on it's way down is impressive.
Have to agree, about the HV curve thing.
It's where we earn most of our money, if we didn't have to be in it, there wouldn't be helicopters.
I work in it as little as possible and always have an 'out' in mind.
I walked down a street in Glasgow one day, and a for sale billboard fell from a building and hit someone - rather I have the skill and awareness to control/limit my own decisions
Granted you're slower than normal - but you're high..and the way that thing drops it's balast, and the banner curls around the longline on it's way down is impressive.
Have to agree, about the HV curve thing.
It's where we earn most of our money, if we didn't have to be in it, there wouldn't be helicopters.
I work in it as little as possible and always have an 'out' in mind.
I walked down a street in Glasgow one day, and a for sale billboard fell from a building and hit someone - rather I have the skill and awareness to control/limit my own decisions
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: From London, now live in LAS VEGAS, NV, USA
Age: 59
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I was the pilot in that Long beach incident and that style of banner is a crazy one to do.
It all seemed good at the time until like anything that goes wrong it sucks.
If i knew then what i know now i wouldn't have flown that style of banner, due to the lack of information about the whole system and the possibilities of what he banner can do if it fouls up.
The other longline version looks the better one to use if you really have to tow a banner as it is just a verticle line with the banner directly under the aircraft and a massive weight keeping it down.
Hasn't stopped me from slinging as we have fire seasons over here which can bring in the big bucks.
With the HV curve flying it is down to the pilots mind set at the time. Slinging is an HV job, you're in it like it or not.
For me personally i love this flying, i have already made my mind up that i will deal with the situation if and when it happens and just the skill level of this type of flying you achieve is a buzz for me.
Call me nuts but for those that do sling jobs whether it be fires, ac units to roofs, trimming trees or bringing supplies to people 9000' on a 150' line to a small clearing and putting the load right on the spot.... that skill level is why we do it.
It all seemed good at the time until like anything that goes wrong it sucks.
If i knew then what i know now i wouldn't have flown that style of banner, due to the lack of information about the whole system and the possibilities of what he banner can do if it fouls up.
The other longline version looks the better one to use if you really have to tow a banner as it is just a verticle line with the banner directly under the aircraft and a massive weight keeping it down.
Hasn't stopped me from slinging as we have fire seasons over here which can bring in the big bucks.
With the HV curve flying it is down to the pilots mind set at the time. Slinging is an HV job, you're in it like it or not.
For me personally i love this flying, i have already made my mind up that i will deal with the situation if and when it happens and just the skill level of this type of flying you achieve is a buzz for me.
Call me nuts but for those that do sling jobs whether it be fires, ac units to roofs, trimming trees or bringing supplies to people 9000' on a 150' line to a small clearing and putting the load right on the spot.... that skill level is why we do it.
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: N England
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"On a side note, I did see a hughes300 moving a horse by a sling in NZ last year, wish I had a camera at the time."
Appearances can be deceptive. This was more likely an operation conducted using the STC/H269/REDRUM/Additional Horse Power
TT
Appearances can be deceptive. This was more likely an operation conducted using the STC/H269/REDRUM/Additional Horse Power
TT
