Yo-yo? Pendulum? Nope.

What a beautiful Antarctic summer day! Just at VFR mins and 10 knots of wind for a little extra power in a hover. For an explanation of why wind is good for hovering helos, see http://www.copters.com/helo_aero.html and read Hovering, Ground Effect, and Translational Lift. Or you could just take my word for it. Should be an easy day. All our well qualified Bell 212 pilot has to do is move some platforms on a long line.

H-1 family fuel system. Note tanks and plumbing in the belly of the aircraft.

He launches to the site where his external loads are positioned for the move. No doubt, he takes the time to do a preflight on the cargo hook and 100 foot line he will use for the move. One would hope he also either inspects or was fully briefed on his loads. There are multiple platforms Continue reading →