Long Line Boot Camp

8/8/2019 Long Line Boot Camp

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So ou hink ou can hover a

helicoer? Sure, is hard o

remember no being able o. Bu

ake awa he horizon and visual

cues, hang ou he door looking

righ behind ou and suddenl

he feeling is anhing bu

familiar. SARAH BOWEN rises

o he challenge and checks i

ou for herself a Los Angeles

Helicoers.

StORy & pHOtOS By sarah bowen


2/10


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here has always been a need for good quality,

competent long line pilots; the kind who can

bring a load right to your hand with virtually no

oscillations, and who are right outside the cockpit both

physically and mentally. These folks are like gold dust,

and the industry had been crying out for a course that

could build the foundations of a professional long line

pilot. In response to this cry, and in partnership with

Columbia Helicopters Inc. (CHI), Long Beach based Los

Angeles Helicopters (LAH) developed a Part 133 approved

Professional Long Line Course that does just that.

The course delivers one-of-a-kind long line training,

beginning with the introduction of Direct Visual

Operational Control (DVOC), better known as Vertical

Reference; the ability to fly without reference to thehorizon, a technique developed by CHIs pioneer Wes

Lematta and the first step in learning to fly a line.

The next stage is landing on Alaskan-style heliports,

and then flying a 200ft steel line. Upon successful

completion, the company can issue graduates a Part

133 Rotorcraft External Load Operation Statement of

Competency, which, lets face it, is a pretty useful thing to

have on your resum. First things first though, mastering

this unbelievably challenging skill is not as easy as the

professionals make it look.

Dont try this at home kiDs

Andre Hutchings, Director of operations at LAH,

CFI and Command Pilot for CHI climbs aboard the R44

Clipper II and demonstrates the most stable hover and

landing you ever saw; the thing is hes hanging right

out the door, looking back at the aft skid crosstube the

whole time. Thats weird enough, but he makes it look

like a piece of cake. We watch in astonishment as several

thousand-odd-hour instructors jump in to try their hand,

thinking This should be okay, Ive lifted to a hover a

million times before how hard can it be? only to find

themselves completely humbled as the ship goes crazyand starts dancing about like a wild boar!

There really is no preparing yourself for the intimidation

you endure as it sinks in that you cant even hover that

T

1 I Early morning ou in perris

Valley, where sudens racice

hook shos and landing on logs.

1 I

darned helicopter, let alone place the skids precisely onto

two logs. You desperately want to look up at that horizon,

but instead youre forcing yourself to look behind you. Its

like dja vu, where all of a sudden youre back to square

one feeling like a newbie student pilot learning to hover

all over again. Oh yes, this is what vertical reference is all

about, and the challenge makes it all the more addictive,

just like the early days when youd fly over and over until

you could finally master those controls. The only thing

stopping you this time is discomfort fly in that position

for 10 minutes and youre soon thinking, I cant take any

more of this!

How long liners manage it for 10 hours a day, every day

really is incredible. Long lining is a seriously demanding

job, but these guys are out there flying for hours on end

in the avoid curve, with a heavy load hanging hundreds

of feet below in an OGE hover. Thorough training is

paramount, not only for the safety of the pilot and crew,

but for the precision needed to get the cargo to its

destination without damaging it, or punching it of f it too

far from the target. Some of these makeshift heliportsare only just big enough for the helicopter, and often the

landing site is made of a couple of logs amongst tall trees

and obstacles. You think you know what a confined areas


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a vertical reference / long line pilot and we went from

there. According to Allen, the Professional Long Line

Course is exactly what the name implies. This course

contains the same methods of instruction and content

that have been used to train our support ship pilots. The

skills taught are what we require at CHI in order to be

considered for upgrade as a Command Pilot in one of

our BV107s.

ouch

The first important thing about vertical reference is

getting comfortable in that seat. Most long line is flown

left seat, since youre leaning so far out the door you need

to have the collective within easy reach. This would be

too impractical from the right, and probably impossible

when youre doing it in the big machines like the Vertol.

Andre describes the position as getting right up onto

your left butt cheek so you can square your torso up to

the door frame, which puts less strain on your neck. This

position alone feels completely screwed up and half the

battle is forcing yourself to stay there. After ten minutes inthe seat that cheek s already taken a beating, and if youre

not relaxed enough your neck and other muscles get all

tensed up. Andre reassures the class that everybody will

is until you see the site picture and ask yourself Okay, so

where is the heliport? Often theres only one way in and

one way out, and you need to be able to look out at your

tail rotor to confirm both blades and cargo are clear of

becoming snagged.

Passing on the skills

Andre is a seasoned pilot who has logged well

over 11,000 helicopter hours across an impressive array

of missions. He flies a multitude of singles, twins and

heavy lift machines, including the BV107 and Chinook.

In the 1990s, Andre helped numerous Law Enforcement

agencies build awareness on the importance of air-to-

ground support, and for a few years flew as a police pilot

himself. Andres devotion to a higher standard of flight

operations has earned LAH a lot of respect in the industry

and he has worked hard to incorporate his real-world

flight experience into their courses.

Our long line course is a true utility course based on

the training CHI give their H500 pilots as well as those

headed for the Vertol. he remarked. We designed andimplemented the course with the help of Kerry Allen,

Assistant Chief Pilot at CHI. He came down to Long Beach,

sat with us and discussed exactly what CHI looks for in


5/10

Gregg Rochna, owner of Maverick Helicopter, did not become the worlds largest EC130

tour operator overnight. His attention to details such as engine reliability and customer

service is the essential key to his success. His engine of choice the Arriel. www.turbomeca.com

- Gregg Rochna, OwnerMaverick Helicopter

Service.


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be more relaxed and will have buns of steel by the end

of the course!

Due to the physical factor the course is run with

several students in a class, enabling pilots to swap out

when they get tired. This also gives them a chance to

watch and learn from the others. The R44 works hard,

doors off and blades turning all day long; only shuttingdown for refuels and a swift lunch break. The course is

broken down into stages, so before you go anywhere

near a line, youve got to get your head around the

vertical reference; theres just no point trying to fly the

line without it. After an hour of ground school, students

Sy, Sofia, Joel, Claire and Troy move out to helipad four

to give it a shot. After assuming the position, looking

back as far as possible, its time to get light on the skids.

Break ground real slow Andre says. And at that point all

hell breaks loose! Wheres the horizon? Need to see the

horizon to level the ship. But Andre insists we cant cheat,

and so we persevere, uttering all manor of profanities and

trying desperately to hold a steady hover. Now show me

an inside easy.

insiDe not-so-easy

You have to be kidding. Land it? And with the aft

skid crosstube within 3 inches of that white line? The

whole point of this precision landing technique is that

the only the strongest parts of the skids touch down

on the made-to-measure heliports; on the R44 this is

just forward of the point the skid meets the crosstube.

Landing too far fore or aft could damage the weaker partsof the skid, or cause the rotor disc to clip something. The

inside easy (someone was having a laugh when they

thought that one up; believe me theres nothing easy

about it), is so called because it requires you to land on

the corner helipad markings, giving you two references

for lining up the skid tube.

At first theres a tendency to move the cyclic as your

head moves between the fore and aft parts of the skid,

which throws it off completely, and for some reason your

feet dont work so well either. Every time you get within

inches of that line the hover just seems to go to pieces.

Its as if someone has sprayed the thing with helicopter

repellent, and Troy describes it as the most intimidating

12 inches hes ever come across! Everyone had exactly

the same problem, regardless of hours, experience, or

whether commercial pilots or instructors. Its just a whole

new skill set that has to be developed, which is of course

why its so much fun trying to nail it. After a couple of

days it all began to come together; holding a three-inch

hover felt great, and that left skid was going down right

on the money.

uP, uP anD away The next stage is simulating a pickup over the

helipad. Andre is covering the controls and watching the

gauges as you lift the ship up to a 200ft hover right over

the pad. Looking down at pad four from 200ft is a weird

sensation, particularly as the only thing between you

and the ground is fresh air and Franks seatbelt! Fixating

on the pad is a big no-no, and sure-fire way to bring on

the nasty effects of vertigo, which unfortunately I soon

discovered. During a real pickup, youd be consistently

crosschecking the load with the target, with the wind,

with your height, with the hookers hand signals so there

shouldnt be a time youre just staring at the same thing.

The key to it all is slow and smooth, particularly when

going back down, keeping your ROD under control

to avoid entering vortex ring state, which is always a

possibility with long line flying.

By this stage that left cheek has got quite used tosupporting your weight and its bearable to fly longer

sessions. Back at a sensible height Andre demonstrates a

series of mini patterns and approaches to the pad, setting

it down from overhead the pad at 8-10ft. In the real world

this could be your only safe area to let down. One of

the hardest things on your neck is doing a turn about

the tail, using the tail rotor as your visual reference for

height and position; those feet need to work really hard

and youre all twisted out, which makes it quite awkward.

After four days of intense hovering through all kinds of

weather (including one particular downpour that had us

nicely soaked, with the instructor side, strangely enough

remaining remarkably dry!) its time to move out to Perris

Valley, a small f ield about 30 minutes east of Long Beach,

where the guys have built some real log heliports.

lanDing on the logs

Heliport operations require great care and precision.

Some heliports will be nothing more than a couple of

tree stumps, or a makeshift pad on a massive slope. As

the manoeuvring area is extremely tight, or non-existent,

holding position over the pad is vital. You never really

know how those logs are going to hold out with theweight of the helicopter suspended upon them, so you

dont ever take the power all the way out. If loggers are

chucking tools, gear and perhaps even themselves into

2 I

2 I Joel and Andre climb slowly u o

200f above he ad a Long Beach,

simulaing a icku.


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investment banker, who attended the first course LAH ran

back in October last year, enjoyed it so much he came

back to do it all again. From a skill-building standpoint,

you cant beat it. He remarked. Im sure there are

hundreds of pilots out there, just like me, who would

simply love to have a go at this for the sheer challenge,

even if they dont intend to make a career of it. Its entirelyaddictive!

3 I

the firs imoran

hing abou verical

reference is geing

comforable in ha

sea. Mos long line

is flown lef sea,

since oure leaning

so far ou he door

ou need o have

he collecive wihin

eas reach.Lowest cost of ownership.

Preferred by instructors and pilots.

Designed for the flight training mission.

Simply stated, its the best training helicopter.

Train with the best: 300CBi

the aircraft, the weight is constantly changing and the

helipad could even collapse.

LAH have simulated two helipads, one consisting of

two logs on the ground, and the other, an elevated rig.

Having something thin to land on seems to focus the

attention and most students actually found this easier

than the inside easy, although perhaps it was due toincreased proficiency following days of practice! Joel, an

3 I A quick refuel break and

helicoer and sudens are all

se o go again.

4 I Slow is he word as you ick

u he line, making sure is clear

of geing snagged a all imes.

5 I the 230lb cemen bucke sis

on he arge, ready o be hooked

u again.


8/1071

the 200 footer

With almost a week of brual flying out of the way,

we return to Perris Valley for the duration. This place is

beginning to feel like bootcamp! Andre demonstrates a

200ft pickup of the line, gently standing up the cone and

remote hook, and lifting it gracefully into the air to fly a

circuit. Again, he makes it look like childs play, but theskill involved in keeping that line from swinging about

requires even more refining. The line is made of steel and

attaches underneath the helicopter using a belly hook

with an electronic and manual release. Our students only

fly a steel line as opposed to synthetics; steel is way less

forgiving and much harder to fly. Andre said. We also go

straight in with a 200ft line, which is really unheard of in

training, but thats what they use at Columbia and if the

students can master that, the shorter ones will be easy.

Picking it up is one thing, flying it around is another.

Any sudden changes in pitch, altitude and speed can

throw the line into a wild oscillation, and regaining

control can be hard work. The only way to get it back is

to fly in the direction of the swing, skids level, to try and

catch it. Sofia said it was the most incredible training

shes ever had. Having a top-notch CHI instructor talking

you through the manoeuvres is fantastic. He displays an

incredible patience in allowing you to make mistakes and

then figure out how to recover from them. The incredible

precision required to get the job done was certainly an

eye-opening experience. Judging the hooks distance

from the ground is also incredibly tough; looking at the

shadow helps, but youre not always lucky enough to

have one. More often than not youre higher than you

think, but 200ft is a long way down and it can be difficult

to tell whether youre going to clear the trees, powerlines

and other obstacles on the ground. Sy described this as

the most challenging flying ever, besides maybe getting

in for that very first lesson. I have a lot of respect for theguys who do this day in, day out. He said.

hook shots

The golden rule for a nice hook shot is flying

slowly enough with no sudden cyclic inputs at all, and

just walking the hook or load to the target with it sat

completely straight underneath you. The ground crew

can give hand signals to tell you when youre level, or

if you need to come down or go up, or they can talk

you down on the radio, calling out the loads height

to guide you into the target zone. Wind direction is an

important consideration as this can seriously affect both

the helicopter and the load. We practice flying various

loads around, from a 230lb bucket full of cement, to a

bunch of logging chokers, even a medical litter, all of

which have different flight characteristics and require

additional skills.

One success story is Forrest Garton, a graduate of the

very first L AH long line course, has just completed his first

40 hours in the Vertol with CHI. Before I did the course

I had zero long line experience, but Andre was super to

fly with and very inspiring. Once I found that helicopters

the golden rule for a nice hook sho is fling slowl enough wih no sudden cclicinus a all, and jus walking he hook or load o he arge wih i sa comleel

sraigh underneah ou.

4 I 5 I


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CHIs Chief Pilot, Jim Coates, commended LAH on

their unique programme. I chose to send our new

pilots to LAH because they had developed a curriculum

focused on bush and utility work. While EMS, the Gulf,

tour and news helicopters grab the headlines, a large part

of the helicopter industry quietly goes about its business.

That business is out in the bush, and utility work is wherethe helicopter is the workhorse. He remarked. Differing

skill sets are needed, mainly precise aircraft control and

vertical reference external load long line skills. If one was

to acquire the skill set and be good at it they would never

be without work.

According to Coates, most companies do not have

the time, money or structure to provide basic vertical

reference flight training, and for those operating large

helicopters the cost to train a person without basic long

line skills can be huge. Having someone like LAH offering

this type of training is cost-effective for us and helps to

provide skilled pilots to the industry as a whole. Certainly

anyone who completes this course would have a major

advantage in obtaining a job with companies whose

bread-and-butter is long line external load work. Vertical

reference and long line are incredibly fulfilling skills to

muster and any pilot looking to make a career of it, or

looking for a way to expand their flying ability should

definitely check it out. n

sweet spot and started lining up the hook shots, it all

came together and it felt so much better. Forest started

training with CHI right after he finished at LAH, and

having previously been a logger, hes finding it great to

be at the other end of the line. CHI have a motto, it s not

how fast you go, its how much time you dont waste.

He says. In other words if you come in too fast youre justgoing to make it harder on yourself and spend longer

trying to stop it swinging about. Forrest was told that it

takes a long line pilot around 2,000 hours to reach 80% of

their potential, but the 15 hours he spent on the course

taught him all the basic principles; the rest can only come

with experience.

laying the career Path

The defining quality of this course has to be the

experienced team of industry professional long line

pilots teaching it. It is targeted, though not exclusively

at existing commercial pilots wishing to add the final

touch to their rsum and provides a way of breaking

into the industry. LAH run the course approximately once

a month, and it lasts for ten days with a combination of

ground school and up to 20 hours flying. They also run

shorter introductory courses for those who just want to

have a go, and see if they can face up to the challenge

and the fun of learning vertical reference and long line.

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Long Line Boot Camp

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