Training for Helicopter External Sling Operations Organized by a Certain Army Brigade

A certain army brigade organizes helicopter external sling flight training——

Battle Eagles take off for precise delivery

■ Wang Han

With the roar of engines and the whir of rotor blades, a practical external sling flight training exercise by a certain army brigade commenced at a western airport in early summer.

At the training site, as the commander gave the order, ground maintenance personnel used flag signals to guide the helicopter to slowly descend and hover precisely above the suspended equipment. The pilot adjusted the aircraft's attitude based on the flag signals, keeping the aircraft in the optimal hook position. Ground rigging personnel quickly approached and attached the sling hook to the equipment's suspension point. Once everything was ready, the ground maintenance personnel signaled with flags: ready for takeoff.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot firmly grasped the control stick, the co-pilot focused on the instrument panel, and the cabin safety officer reported the status of the suspended equipment in real-time. The moment the suspended equipment left the ground, the helicopter's center of gravity changed abruptly. “The equipment is shifting to the left!” Upon hearing the safety officer's report, the pilot immediately stepped on the rudder to correct the course, while the co-pilot adjusted the power to keep the swinging of the suspended item within a safe range. Once stabilized, the aircraft accelerated towards the sky.

One aircraft, two aircraft, three aircraft… Under the precise command of the on-site commander, one by one, the battle eagles took off, heading towards the equipment drop zone.

“At the moment of takeoff, the swinging of the suspended item combined with the high-speed airflow significantly increased the difficulty of operation,” the on-site commander explained.

With sudden changes in airflow and excessive crosswinds… During the maneuver, facing various unexpected situations, the crew members closely coordinated, flexibly adjusting flight altitude, speed, and course to maintain stable aircraft attitude.

“External sling flight is an important means of implementing material supply and equipment repair. Such tasks often require dealing with complex terrains like plateaus, islands, and mountains, which pose great challenges to the pilot's operational precision, the crew's coordination, and their ability to handle emergencies,” a leader from the brigade told the author.

As the battle eagles successively entered the target area, the challenge of delivering the suspended equipment followed. The crew members in different positions worked in perfect harmony, continuously adjusting the flight attitude to reduce the swinging of the suspended equipment.

“Prepare, release!” With the command given, multiple helicopters successfully delivered the suspended equipment precisely to the target area.

“This training effectively enhanced the equipment and material delivery capabilities of each crew in complex environments,” one of the participating pilots stated. In the next step, they will conduct night external sling flights and complex weather flying, among other high-difficulty training tasks, continuously solidifying the foundation of battlefield support capabilities.