PHOTOS: TOP, JORDAN COLLINS; BOTTOM, BEN WIEBORG
By Christine A. DeJoy
Working in Longline Operations
Longline work is a special niche of the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) industry, one that requires precision and intricate teamwork.
1
DON’T rely on the horizon for reference when flying longline. In most helicopter flights, the
pilot faces forward, looking out the windscreen at the nose of the aircraft to determine spatial posi- tioning. But in external-load operations, which typi- cally use lines of 100 to 250 feet that hang below the ship, it’s critical to look out the door of the helicopter and down—a practice even experienced pilots find challenging, says Cody Barton, chief pilot for Columbia Helicopters. “Using vertical reference is the toughest thing about longline to get used to,” he says. “It can frustrate a pilot who’s new to the sector. It really gives you humility.”
2
DO practice, practice, practice. The key to becoming adept at longline work, say experts,
isn’t so much the aircraft you train in but the amount of time you put into it. “It takes about 20 hours of flight time for a pilot with no longline experience to get to a point where you can safely fly a basic longline op,” says Andre Hutchings, director
18 ROTOR 2020 Q4
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