for jab
Thank you for your opinion, jab, and for the info re the Firehawk.
However, your assumption is wrong. I do not refer to a camera pointing straight down. A camera in such a position would, as you have pointed out, leave you with less resolution, and a lot less depth perception than your two blue normally allows.
If you were using a wide angle lens on such a camera, you would probably be able to see the area below and around your load, but your idea re the vertical distance/depth perception would suffer even more.
In short, and as you suggested, instead of relying a camera pointing straight down from a point somewhere near the hook, you'd be far better served by just sticking your head out.
However, what if you could somehow place your eyes somewhere far behind the load, as in a camera lense placed on the tip of a stinger, (or preferably even further back, if that had been possible), wouldn't that mean that you could somehow "fly" your slingload to its point of destination, and wouldn't such a viewing angle to a some extent remove that "difficult" element of (vertical) depth perception, since you are no longer viewing your load not from (almost) directly above, but rather somewhat obliquely.
It would per your definition no longer be true longlining ( as in .."means looking straight down"), but maybe it could still serve its purpose of a precise cargo delivery by means of a long line.
And, just for the record,
anytime that you're moving about close to the ground as an FP you'd like to have your attention on whats going on outside the cockpit.
Gluing your attention to some screen on the pedestal whilst below, say, 300ft, may be asking for it, unless, of course, you're part of a two crew operation.
If you're operating a "large" helo, like an AS332 or S61, you already have your extra crewmember.
So back to the question: Anyone with any experience with the use of tailmounted cameras for the purpose of load control?
cheers