Since we had a lot of extra training time on our hands, our platoon leader hooked us up with some sling load training. We were to go to a couple days of training followed by the real thing. We'd sling load some equipment up to the top of a hill and put in some communications shots. It was supposed to only take three days, but due to weather and the mission, it ended up taking several weeks before we got it all done. Here are the pictures from the first day of the training we had.
First we got some instruction from a 101st Airborne
troop on hand signals and safety around helicopters.
Then we got to watch it all first. Myself and a 2nd platoon soldier
got picked to go up with the 101st guys and watch them up close.
I gave my camera to someone and told them to snap away at everything!
A picture of everyone watching and if you look at the top left
corner of the truck, you can see the guy directing the helicopter.
And the pallet is hooked! It was only a pallet of water.
The Blackhawk flew around a bit while the 101st guys got the
straps ready to retrieve and load the pallet back on the truck.
First the Blackhawk set the load on the ground, then they hooked up the
straps, and the pallet would be lifted off the ground and put on the truck.
Lifting it up. The wind under the helicopter was pretty fast! It was
hard to stand and when they told us to run away from the truck it was
like the wind was pushing you faster and faster away. Cool!
Placing the pallet back on the truck.
Touchdown! Now the Blackhawk is supposed to follow the directions from
the signal guy to drop the line, but they usually don't according to the
101st Airborne guys training us. But we had to have the signal guy anyway.
And there is the signal guy giving the arm
and hand signals to the Blackhawk pilot.
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