How does the military...

[Guest]

Just wondering how the military teaches longline. Do you learn vertical reference by visual or is it done a different way? All I know is the civilian way.

[RDRickster]

At Air Assault School, they taught us how to "rig" all the sling loads for various military aircraft.  Most of the loads were pretty close to the belly, and it was rare that a line would be setup more than 30-50 feet.  Sling loading two tandem HMMWV's in series under a bird probably had the longest line.  I don't know how the pilots are trained, as I was a ground pounder.  That said, most of the sling loads we did were fairly close to the belly.

[HeloEagle]

In all my Army and Coast Guard flying we have never done true longline like civilians do.  We either use a hoist where the crewman in the back is directing (giving conning commands) the pilot up front, or sling load with the cargo hook, where again the crewman in the back is directing the pilot over the load.  Most military aircraft don't have the fancy bubble windows, and we usually don't even get to fly with the doors off, so we don't really do vertical reference flying in the sense that the civilians do.  I have hoisted men and machine to boats underway, sinking boats, and confined areas, and slung everything from fuel blivets, cargo nets, and HUMVEEs and that is the way we have always done it.  I also went to Air Assault school where we learned to rig loads among other things, and they don't teach long line in the civilian sense.  I think 50-70 feet below the aircraft is the longest sling load I have ever flown.  Slinging to an offshore platform was the hardest, as you can't see anything but water, so it is a true team effort between the pilot and the crewman in the back.