Which techniques help prevent excessive load swing of a sling-load in flight?

Which techniques help prevent excessive load swing of a sling-load in flight?

• A. Allowing the load to swing freely for balance.
• B. Relying solely on crew hand signals.
• C. Using rapid abrupt control inputs.
• D. Proper rigging, keeping load close to helicopter CG, smooth throttle and control inputs, and pilot techniques to minimize drag and pendulum effects.

Answer: (D)

Swing of a sling-load in flight is a pendulum issue: the load tends to swing away from the helicopter and can grow if excited by motion or wind. The best way to prevent excessive sway is to reduce the energy that can feed that pendulum and to damp it quickly. Proper rigging and securing the load so it sits close to the helicopter’s center of gravity shorten the moment arm, making any motion easier to control and less likely to amplify into large swings. Along with that, smooth throttle and control inputs prevent sudden accelerations or direction changes that would yank the load and start or worsen swinging. Pilot techniques to minimize drag and pendulum effects—such as maintaining stable airspeed and altitude, coordinating collective and cyclic movements gently, and avoiding abrupt maneuvers—help keep the system from exciting the load’s natural pendular motion. When these practices are combined, the load remains steadier, easier to control, and less prone to dangerous swing.

Swing of a sling-load in flight is a pendulum issue: the load tends to swing away from the helicopter and can grow if excited by motion or wind. The best way to prevent excessive sway is to reduce the energy that can feed that pendulum and to damp it quickly. Proper rigging and securing the load so it sits close to the helicopter’s center of gravity shorten the moment arm, making any motion easier to control and less likely to amplify into large swings. Along with that, smooth throttle and control inputs prevent sudden accelerations or direction changes that would yank the load and start or worsen swinging. Pilot techniques to minimize drag and pendulum effects—such as maintaining stable airspeed and altitude, coordinating collective and cyclic movements gently, and avoiding abrupt maneuvers—help keep the system from exciting the load’s natural pendular motion. When these practices are combined, the load remains steadier, easier to control, and less prone to dangerous swing.