Originally Posted by
SuperF
The problem I see, is that they aren’t starting super safe. They have created one of the most dangerous fire fighting operations I have seen.
if they want to use a twin with two pilots, I guess, go for it. But that is already an extra person that doesn’t need to be put into the additional risky area of fire fighting. Having the crewy, and hanging outside the helicopter is just crazy.
as someone above said, if the pilot can’t do the job, by themselves then swap pilots. Long lining is no different to IFR, in that it is simply an additional skill to be trained in. Train the pilots, and let them VR the bucket. If they snag a tree with a bucket, the crew member won’t be able to tell the pilots to stop flying or drop the bucket quick enough, and they will drag a helicopter in....
I guess that very much depends on the quality of your crewman - if they are any good they will tell you before the bucket gets snagged and help you manoeuvre to prevent it happening in the first place. Plus they are an extra set of eyes in what is often a poor visibility and sometimes very busy operation.