Empty Longline...

[Guest JeffyG]

is it considered a 'sling load'?

[skullcap]

Seems like a "loaded question" ha ha. I always consider it so. If you mean is it considered another load after setting down your load of timbers and heading back to staging,,,? Airspeed at 80,,,yep. Hour on the hook,,,,yep. A seperate cycle,,,,I don't.

[skullcap]

Seems like a "loaded question" ha ha. I always consider it so. If you mean is it considered another load after setting down your load of timbers and heading back to staging,,,? Airspeed at 80,,,yep. Hour on the hook,,,,yep. A seperate cycle,,,,I don't.

 

 

Oh and MAX 80 kts,,,,lots of empty hooks are far to light for that speed.

[Helilog56]

It is for us....still weighs 3,000 lbs !!!!!

[Heliian]

Long line is a slung load as it can be jettisoned from the a/c, same applies for anything attached to the cargo hook whether it's a lanyard, bambi bucket or robert downey jr.

[Over-Talk]

Yep, this question sounds more loaded than the long-line it involves !!

 

anyways.....

there is no official definition of a "sling" load in the CARs, however there are these......

 

"external load" means a load that is carried, or extends outside of the aircraft fuselage;

"helicopter Class B external load" - means an external load that can be jettisoned and that is not in contact with land, water or any other surface;

There is no doubt those definitions would include an empty long-line.

 

As mentioned above, helicopter manufacturers usually do not consider an empty long-line as a "load" for the calculations of RINs or cycles etc., but it is log-able as pilot "sling" time.

 

Here's where it gets tricky;

If you are 214 co-jo and take-the-sticks to fly up the hill, are you honestly logging "sling" time just because there is a long-line on? You didn't take-off, you can't see the line in flight, and don't set the line at the top. Doesn't sound like 'real' slinging does it?

But, you did have to keep the line from dragging in the trees. Hmmm, maybe it is.

And, if you flew part of the down-hill leg with a log underneath, that does sound like slinging.

So was a co-pilot flying up the hill really log-able 'sling' time or not ?????

Tough question, huh??

 

Remember you can be slinging from the right seat....only "vertical reference" needs you to look down at the load.

There is obviously a difference between 'slinging' and 'long-lining'.

There already is 'co-pilot time'.........is there 'co-pilot sling time'?

What do you put on your resume?

 

....fire-away, boys.

 

O.T.

 

p.s. this reminds me of my early days in this industry when my boss was telling me about which operations didn't 'qualify' as a cycle, event, start, flight etc., and therefore didn't need to be entered in the log-book. Ha Ha Ha.

[FREDDIE]

I agree with Skullcap. 80 knts is good as long as the line is flying good and clear of the aircraft.

[350B3]

Don't forget Guys, a cycle is slightly different from one manufacturer to another, and is not nessesarily the same as recordable sling cycles for the hook. Check with the hook manufacturer and the A/C and Engine manufacturer.

As far as sling time goes flying at a safe speed is paramount. Whats the rush, we want to do a good job for the client and not drag our feet, but safety comes first.

Log all the sling time you want, it only take me 2 or 3 minutes of flying with you to evaluate what useful sling time you have.

[Heliduck]

It all comes down to integrity doesn't it? If you're returning with an empty line after depositing a load it makes sense to include the total time as your experience, but I'm sure there would be people who would put a line on then ferry 2 hours & log it as long-line time.

 

As 350B3 said, they'll get caught out pretty quickly.

[Bullwinkle]

Do people log sling time in their personal logbook? If so, why?