Ned,
that is a very good article. My respect to Mr. Smallhorn!
Easy to understand also for non-engineers, but with the needed technical background.
As a pilot, engineer and climber as well i teached a lot of people in such physics. Followed by flight instruction for hoist and shorthaul operations, external load courses, abseiling and fast roping on different types of helos.
Liq,
yes it is allways the same, as i think Newton is still in use
, but a lot of guys have never heard about such things. And a lot of people do not understand that it can be also important for external load operations. A lot of FTOs do not teach that kind of basics during external load or hoist training.
Shockloading is much more dangerous while using (cheaper) steel products than with fiber ropes (except Dynema, also critical for shockloading)
Last year i visited a operator in the UK, still allways on old chains or steel ropes and wondering about lost loads. They had never heard about the differencies between WLL and the "breaking strength" given by the manucfacturer.
Ned,
i would like to add to Mr. Smallhorns article the fact, that load peaks induced by shockloading can open or break hooks and leading to lost loads also without cable failures.
Some years ago i posted about a deadly logging accident caused by shockloading with load peaks here on PPRuNe.