Originally Posted by
Thud_and_Blunder
RAF PR image
Every RAF Chinook trainee aircrew - pilots and loadies - had to qualify on triple-USLs prior to finishing the OCU course. A favourite exercise was with the RA 105mm light gun, where you land to pick up the gun crew then lift to the hover and pick up the ammunition, the 1-tonne LR and the gun. I was surprised to learn that in the US Army at the time I was operating on type (1989-1997), carrying USLs was considered an advanced skill that was covered after pilots had started Sqn service; don't know if that was true.
T&B, I think you are correct, during GW1 we met US Army CH47 crews based in Italy that weren’t “sling load qualified” although it did make us wonder what they did if they didn’t trash haul like us!