Longlining

[dee-eye]

Sorry guys, I asked a question within the response area. So I'll here instead.

My question is, "what makes a good line line pilot." Aside from all the safety practises for an ansswer, Im talking about what going on in the pilot mind and in the **** pit itself.

I obviously do not have much LL time, and the tought of doing LL in an Astar! jus boggles me. And I hear the Astar is a pilot machine. At this stage I could not even imagine LL in an Astar!.

 

Thanks guy for your other responses. Kool.

 

Have a good day.

[shaggy]

before all of the bickering starts about which is a better longline machine, the astar can be a bit of a handfull but when you get used to it it is really nice. which might be why it is so popular. if you have the large window (the chinook mod) it is not bad at all. i found that once i got used to the fact that the load is often out of sight and when you are finishing you approach, your target disappears under a large blind spot that is created by the lower section of door and the floor itself. when you learn how to deal with those things it is not so bad at all. for starting out, though, the H500 is great for learning because of its manouverability and very good visibility.

as far as a good longline driver goes; i'd say that patience when learning is the key. try to be as smooth as you can and don't rush things. when you get your technique down, your speed will increase. jobs such as seismic are not good places to send inexperienced LL guys/gals too as they are too production oriented and there may be a lot of pressure. i'm not saying it cannot be done but it can be tough.

[Helilog56]

Well DE.....what makes a good pilot, or an AME ? Your question covers a broad aspect. Good longline pilots develop over time. Let's face it, a low time pilot is still struggling to learn handling the aircraft, to throw a 250' line on in the mountains, under tough conditions is unrealistic. Some pilots always seem to fly a line a little better than others.....why is that??? Usually lot's of flight time is the key foundation, smooth control inputs, light feet on the pedals, and soft hands make a huge difference.

 

One of the main mistakes pilot's make early on when trying to learn longline technique's are focusing to much on the line itself......i've heard a saying "fly the line" (not), concentrate on aircraft handling fundamentals, what i mean by that is, good heading control (track), yaw control, rate of closure or acceleration (speed), translating tendency utilizing power management, line position, and approach angles. When you have the basics under control, the line will follow suit.

 

There are also different aspects of vertiacal reference work such as production longlining or precision work such as tower construction, but whether your setting air conditioners on a rooftop on a highrise, or pulling logs of a steep mountainside at warp 9......work on those basics i described, show lot's and lot's of patience and professionalism.

 

It is a skill that comes with time......start with small steps (ie: shorter lines) and build from there.....happy flying :up: