Loft's software can accurately replicate the behavior of loads like boxes, concrete buckets, Bambi Buckets, and tree trunks with different rope lengths.
Picture wildland firefighters digging with every ounce of their stamina to build a fire line immediately adjacent to a towering inferno. Their supervisor is calling for the nearest helicopter to drop buckets of water on key spots in the flame front.
Amidst this firestorm is the steady beat of rotor blades. The view from the helicopter’s cockpit isn’t much better. Visibility from the smoke is marginal VFR. Turbulence induced by the roaring flame columns and rapidly changing wind directions challenges control of the helicopter.
The pain from craning one’s back and neck to continuously monitor the load screams for relief. Then there are those “other” pilot duties such as watching out for wires and monitoring the fuel status and engine gauges. And of course, let’s not forget the six radio frequencies that all contain “must know” information for coordination.
This isn’t some “made for Hollywood” script. This is the real world for wildland fire fighters.
A question posed by this author many times has been: How do we prepare helicopter pilots for mechanical malfunctions, external load operations, mountain flying and other high-risk operations in a low-risk setting so they will be adequately prepared?
The fidelity of that training needs to be as realistic as possible, immersing the pilot in the visual, aural and somatosensory environment, but without the unforgiving consequences of inadvertently snagging the external load on an obstacle, losing situational awareness with proximity to a nearby obstacle and striking an obstacle, or losing control of the helicopter when too much swing begins to develop in the load.
A solution is now available. On June 12, 2024, Loft Dynamics received approval from EASA for its helicopter external sling load (HESLO) simulation program. Thanks to a high-resolution panoramic view, accurate replication of flight physics, and a precise motion system, Loft’s simulators allow pilots to realistically learn to fly sling loads on a simulator for the first time.
This BCA writer had the opportunity to experience this hands-on with Loft Dynamics’ Airbus H125 VR training device in May 2022 at the company’s facility in Zürich. The scene in the simulator was positioned to the ramp at Air Zermatt. While “looking” over the side of the helicopter as if to monitor the external load during a pick-up, I couldn’t help but note that even the surface texture and the seams in the concrete ramp were realistically portrayed as well as the unrolling of the external load line as I pulled collective to begin ascending.
“Our simulator provides an exact replication of the helicopter and load behavior, even below a speed of 30 kts,” says Fabi Riesen, Loft Dynamics founder and CEO. “It’s essential for pilots to see the load in the electrically adjustable mirror and be able to look down vertically to position the cargo precisely. These are the core techniques for HESLO training, and our VR simulator replicates them more realistically than ever before.”
Lorenz Nufer, whose extensive background includes flying rescues to the highest peaks in the Himalayas, explained the advantages of the HESLO system. “Students can initially learn all the skills they need in a stress-free environment at a price that is unbeatable in the industry,” he says. “In addition, there are no emissions and the training can be planned and carried out regardless of weather or operational restrictions. We often hear from operators that the noise emissions for training are less and less accepted by the environment.”
Loft Dynamics commissioned a field study for EASA to demonstrate the effectiveness of the sling load simulator. Upon completing the training program pilots were able to fly sling loads in real helicopters using a 20-m rope without intervention from the instructor.
“After a pilot initially trained on the Loft Dynamics simulator, it was the only time I didn’t have to take corrective actions at the controls during the first real-world sling load instruction flight,” said André Mühlematter, a Heli Austria pilot and instructor.
Training Progression
The training syllabus was designed by input from helicopter operators who conduct extensive external load work in the most challenging of environments. This included Helitrans, Air Greenland, Air Zermatt, Heli Austria and Mountainflyers.
Nufer described key components of the training syllabus. “Our approach is to teach best practices and basic skills to the trainees,” he says. “As a trainees’s skills progress we can then increase the difficulty. This can be done with changes in sceneries, from surfaces with plenty of texture to aid depth perception to surfaces such as snowfields with very little surface texture that induce visual illusions on height and distance.”
He continues: “Increased difficulty is also introduced by carrying a variety of different loads, all of which have varying flight characteristics. Wind and visual impairments such as patchy fog or the elimination of shadows are also ways of making training more difficult.
“Emergencies are added in the final phase. Examples include an engine failure in flight with an 800-kg load on the rope or a hydraulic failure during the placement of a load. Both of these simulated emergencies would hardly be possible to train realistically and safely in the real world.”
Furthermore, it is possible to train for high-risk scenarios in which the costs of an error while training in an actual helicopter could be immense.
“Loads at the power limit of the helicopter are always tricky,” Nufer says. “An over-limit in the simulator costs nothing, whereas an over-limit in the real world can cost hundreds of thousands. This simulation package also allows the opportunity to work on the precision of the placement of the load. If the load crashes into a house wall in our scenario, nothing is broken, but in the real world it can cost a fortune.”
The Loft Dynamics software can accurately replicate the behavior of loads like boxes, concrete buckets, Bambi Buckets, and tree trunks with different rope lengths.
The syllabus begins with a simple cargo box. As the student progresses, he/she will then be exposed to carrying a tree trunk with a one-sided suspension on a steel cable. This load behaves completely differently when it is picked up and placed. The swinging behavior during the flight is also very different.
Another example is a wall element that starts to “fly” at a certain speed that could touch the tail rotor with disastrous consequences. More advanced setups simulate real-life transport missions like concrete work.
The team at Loft Dynamics is currently working on the ability to drop water with a Bambi Bucket for firefighting scenarios.
“It is incredibly challenging to accurately simulate HESLO, and it’s even more challenging to exceed rigorous regulatory standards,” says Riesen. “We’re proud of this accomplishment and look forward to developing and qualifying more training solutions that not only enhance pilot proficiencies but are also accessible to pilots and operators.”
In a following article, we describe how Switzerland’s apprenticeship system helps Loft Dynamics innovate.
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