Slingloading & Longlining
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It is a big advantage when the ground crew is not able to exactly weigh the load while preparing-e.g. during logging....
Often you cannot decide by the power you have, wether a load is too heavy for this ship on this day-so its´a useful device.
In the military, it is much easier-if you can hover it, you can fly it....
Often you cannot decide by the power you have, wether a load is too heavy for this ship on this day-so its´a useful device.
In the military, it is much easier-if you can hover it, you can fly it....
Join Date: Dec 2007
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When heli logging we use load indicators and printers to determine tons per hour to heavy slow you down to light burning helicopters hours. Without them you don't know if you are making money or losing money.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: N.S.W
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Hints, tips and advice on slinging
Hi guys
Ive just started learning to sling (100ft) in a AS350.
Just wanting to know any good tips or advice to help me improve.
I have a tendancy to start really moving the cyclic when Im looking directly down through the sling window, however find it more stable when I look through the foot bubble window and pick a stable spot and keep staring at it and take quick peeks through the sling window - is this a good way to do it.
I would really appreciate any tips or advice as I would realy like to steer my career in the long lining industry and would like to learn more on how to master it.
Not just interested in getting tips or advice on the pickups or setdowns, but on al aspects of slinging - rigging, stopping load swinging, etc etc
Does anyone know if there are any good learning videos, training articles etc etc or even slinging threads on PPrune (not sure how to do a search on this website).
Thanks in advance and look forward to hearing from you all
Cheers
BT
Ive just started learning to sling (100ft) in a AS350.
Just wanting to know any good tips or advice to help me improve.
I have a tendancy to start really moving the cyclic when Im looking directly down through the sling window, however find it more stable when I look through the foot bubble window and pick a stable spot and keep staring at it and take quick peeks through the sling window - is this a good way to do it.
I would really appreciate any tips or advice as I would realy like to steer my career in the long lining industry and would like to learn more on how to master it.
Not just interested in getting tips or advice on the pickups or setdowns, but on al aspects of slinging - rigging, stopping load swinging, etc etc
Does anyone know if there are any good learning videos, training articles etc etc or even slinging threads on PPrune (not sure how to do a search on this website).
Thanks in advance and look forward to hearing from you all
Cheers
BT
thought I'd add a few things, If you place the remote hook by the spot you land, when you take off, its looking you in the face when you take off. and you can cycle the hook and see the knob, twist.I would recommend also reading or taking a riggers course, In many jurisdictions , your are considered a crane operator, as you are carrying a suspended load, and you need to be carded. and can be charged big time without it. for placing the line down, if you start with the hook on the ground and land placing the line behind you and dragging it forward as you land, can be dangerous( we lost a new B2), as the spectra line landed on a moving around tumbleweed, and the tail picked up.Also in an Astar, light on fuel(end of a cycle) and with light guys flying, when they get a foot from the ground and then try to move the A/C back a bit (to land by the marker put there) the tail rotor will be very close to the ground if not in the grass, But sometimes the LZ was just cleared for you and there is stubble of saplings etc sticking up and it will come too close for comfort, and if that line is laying on the stubble, one aft correction, and you can pick that line up. so don't land an astar moving back if your a skinny runt
Also for the truck driver, put a location rock by your front tire, so if you disconnect the trailer, when you come back to reconnect, you back up to that rock beside the truck's tire, and voila, the ball is under the trailer hitch..
Also for the truck driver, put a location rock by your front tire, so if you disconnect the trailer, when you come back to reconnect, you back up to that rock beside the truck's tire, and voila, the ball is under the trailer hitch..
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Australia
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drogue chute opinions please
Hello all,
I'm after some gems of wisdom from those of you who drag lots of stuff around underneath your machines...
I've been carting around drill pipe which has proven to be very unstable in flight. It just won't hang still for long, gets the swing up and the whole flight is spent correcting the swing. Very annoying! (Have tried all the different speeds).
We've played with various lenght strops, but are now dictated by the client to a 4m strop, + chains etc, so, load is around 10m under the helo. I've had some success with fashioning a drogue chute to trail behind the load. But my question is this; what rule of thumb for lenght?
One of my old Heli Principles of Flight books say drougue should equal 3 times the lenght of load to be effective. That would make this a 30 m drogue! My concerns are tail rotor issues. That's alot of stuff trailing behind me (under my t/r ) that I can't see!
Any pearls of wisdom would be appreciated.
MSH
I'm after some gems of wisdom from those of you who drag lots of stuff around underneath your machines...
I've been carting around drill pipe which has proven to be very unstable in flight. It just won't hang still for long, gets the swing up and the whole flight is spent correcting the swing. Very annoying! (Have tried all the different speeds).
We've played with various lenght strops, but are now dictated by the client to a 4m strop, + chains etc, so, load is around 10m under the helo. I've had some success with fashioning a drogue chute to trail behind the load. But my question is this; what rule of thumb for lenght?
One of my old Heli Principles of Flight books say drougue should equal 3 times the lenght of load to be effective. That would make this a 30 m drogue! My concerns are tail rotor issues. That's alot of stuff trailing behind me (under my t/r ) that I can't see!
Any pearls of wisdom would be appreciated.
MSH
Had to fly a falcon bird made of tubelar aluminum with a 60 ft wingspan. We put a drogue chute which had an opening of 1 meter and 2 meters long. This was placed on a 3 meter pole on the back with a 1 meter line, held the bird in a straight line beautifully, when we tried with no chute it span all over the place. Think you will find it depends upon the size of the chute. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself wind towards the end and you will see the size of drogue
Join Date: May 2008
Location: St Johns, Newfoundland,Canada
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If we are going any distance on a drill move, with the drill rod, we just get the drillers to cinche a small spruce tree in with the load so that aprox 5ft sticks out. Works a treat and it will stop the load spinning. Failing the tree, just hang a cargo net off the load, works the same and 80kts is no problem.....don't know about a 10m line though, we always use a 100ft line......hope that helps....
Join Date: Jan 2010
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When rigging those long skinny unstable loads like lumber and floor joists try and wrap a couple of nets around them to help break up some airflow then tie a tree off the end and from what I have seen usually the heavy end of the load will fly forward. The more stable you can get the load the less the work load and stress you will have especially on the longer flights.
I picked up a steel structure shed frame with an installed wood floor by a 4 point, 1800lbs and thought the tough part would be getting off the ground. So i waited until late in the evening when the temp cooled down. The load came off the ground ok then transiting forward it tilted back slightly with airspeed and acted like a spoiler. I Had a very tough time gaining altitude with all the drag of the floor surface area. So try to visualize how the load will fly to help with rigging but then again some loads you will never know and it can be hard to predict how they will fly.
Another trick in confined areas when having to hook up your own loads which some pilots may laugh at is to tie a piece of survey ribbon or make a marker so when verticaling down 100ft into a tight area with a lot of bush or snags around the tail area you can position the helicopter in the same position every time. Just make sure you also have a couple reference points out the front window to see exactly where the nose of the aircraft should be facing so you don't hit that tail. Then you can position the line wherever you need to then looking through the floor window position the aircraft into an area that you know is already safe. Have fun and fly safe.
I picked up a steel structure shed frame with an installed wood floor by a 4 point, 1800lbs and thought the tough part would be getting off the ground. So i waited until late in the evening when the temp cooled down. The load came off the ground ok then transiting forward it tilted back slightly with airspeed and acted like a spoiler. I Had a very tough time gaining altitude with all the drag of the floor surface area. So try to visualize how the load will fly to help with rigging but then again some loads you will never know and it can be hard to predict how they will fly.
Another trick in confined areas when having to hook up your own loads which some pilots may laugh at is to tie a piece of survey ribbon or make a marker so when verticaling down 100ft into a tight area with a lot of bush or snags around the tail area you can position the helicopter in the same position every time. Just make sure you also have a couple reference points out the front window to see exactly where the nose of the aircraft should be facing so you don't hit that tail. Then you can position the line wherever you need to then looking through the floor window position the aircraft into an area that you know is already safe. Have fun and fly safe.
Join Date: Nov 2007
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I move lots of drill pipe, and it always swings. Always on a longline, with nylon straps cinched around the pipe. It'll swing out to one side, spin once, swing to the other side, spin again, and repeat. I don't even bother trying to correct it while cruising, just get used to the ride. Usually get 60-70 knots out of it. 10m (30 feet) beneath seems dodgy to me, I prefer to keep my troubles at least 100' away.
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: mostly in the jungle...
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....we fly drill rod with cables (against all expectations, these cables last quite a long time!), cinch them at the same side.
If at all, a pack like this will turn slowly WITHOUT any swinging.
I do not like nylon straps, as the free parts will usually start to vibrate.
Frequently I encounter pilots that don't use their mirrors (basically your only way to see the load in cruise in a AS350...)
Use the mirrors to keep your load tracking straight, by applying a little rudder pressure on the opposite side the load swings to...
[mirror tells you the line goes left, apply right pressure...]
If your load does not stop to swing, then the pedal trick still keeps you somewhat coordinated - you just slowly snake your way to the target.
Keeps the ball from swinging left/right.
BTW - my drill rod packs fly stable and nice to 80+ kts....
Cheers,
3top
If at all, a pack like this will turn slowly WITHOUT any swinging.
I do not like nylon straps, as the free parts will usually start to vibrate.
Frequently I encounter pilots that don't use their mirrors (basically your only way to see the load in cruise in a AS350...)
Use the mirrors to keep your load tracking straight, by applying a little rudder pressure on the opposite side the load swings to...
[mirror tells you the line goes left, apply right pressure...]
If your load does not stop to swing, then the pedal trick still keeps you somewhat coordinated - you just slowly snake your way to the target.
Keeps the ball from swinging left/right.
BTW - my drill rod packs fly stable and nice to 80+ kts....
Cheers,
3top
Join Date: Jul 2002
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...unless a VERY tight pack (cement/sand/rocks in a net) I will never fly anything directly on the belly hook or on a line shorter than 50 feet.
3top
3top
