CY
Thought I would jump in here. 500D weighs about 1600lbs dry max auw with jetisonable load is 3550lbs so picking up 1700 lbs is possible just ! A 500F can possibly pick up more.The operator if he is regularly picking this up is thrashing the bollocks of his machines. As for auto from 80 ft 0 ias ask if he has tried it or better still demonstrate it ( suggest you sit on the airfield and watch ) if you really want a laugh ask him to demonstrate auto carrying 1700 lbs on his hook.
Seriously a 500 is very sound machine, very small,agile and imensly crash survivable, ask US Loach pilots.
Have a good one, by the way it has stopped raining here in the UK for the first time in months.