Many job opportunities involve carrying external loads, and the skills and techniques needed to perform sling-load operations require careful, advanced training.

The sling-load course at Bristow Academy provides the training necessary to give you a competitive advantage with prospective employers. Course content will prepare you for the real world of long-line helicopter operations.

Your training in external load will begin with ground training on the basics of external load operations including the use of visual references in flight, rigging, safety, hazards, preflight for external load, techniques and how to respond in an emergency. After you have become familiar with the theory behind the mission, it is time to put that knowledge to the test.

Most students are proficient in external load operations in 10 to 15 hours of flight. You will take your cargo-hook equipped 300CBi helicopter to our sling load training area and begin learning the specialized maneuvers required for this type of operation. Using 25 foot, 75 foot and 150 foot lines, you will learn maneuvers including take offs and approaches with a load, flying the line, arrest techniques, pick ups and set downs of a load, rapid deceleration with a load and precision movements. Most of your training will be in an open area, but there will be a little confined area training.

Once you have become proficient in safe external load operations you will receive an endorsement in your logbook.

While this course will not land an external load job for the newly rated commercial pilot, it offers benefits down the road. Once you have built sufficient flight time to work commercially in turbine helicopters, your external load training will help you stand out among your peers with similar hours but no knowledge of external load operations or experience. This course is also very beneficial to the high time commercial pilot seeking an introduction to external load before seeking that external load job such as fire fighting, logging and construction.