He did say they use a remote controlled mirror and maintained radio contact with the meat on the string for verbal assistance.
But....then our friends from across the saltwater divide have been known to make things difficult.
More flight time less turns.
I see there are a lot of concrete opinions.
At first, i'm prefering mirrors.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland seems to me could count as one of the leading airrescue and sling load countries worldwide, compared to the number of helicopters doing it, territory and inhabitants.The longline companies from this countries have the best reputation in the world (heliswiss is going at the moment to hongkong, ordered to slingload amazing construction parts) and a really longtime experience. All companies using mirrors!
Ok, they are using mirrors only to earn more money because they need more flight time while competing with our US friends
!
I'm not interested in discussions with Sassie about radiolinks to rescuers. Such threads we have seen here. Ok, it's only meat to him on the end of the string. "We have done it without radios 30 years ago and it works up to today!" Flight safety is really different to him, GOM, EMS and shorthaul.
I've longline experience on 9 different types of helicopters, some days i have done more than 300 slingload rotations.
On the most helicopters (incl. AS 350) the pilot isn't able to see the load and the hook
all time during the mission, leaning out of the door.
Bending out of the opened door a whole day long, may be in the cold middle european winter, is really comfortable and healthy
.
The movable, heated and sometimes bended mirrors gives a good image (on some mirrors larged) to the pilot.
To have mirrors doesn't mean to forget VR. The pilot could use both methods and choose the best in one moment.
Bending out of the door makes it difficult to read the important instruments, like torque, N1, TOT, weight,... the view angle between mirror(s) and instruments is much better as turning your head alltimes 180°. There are not so much helicopters with side instruments. A caution light couldn't spotted hanging out of the door.