The Professional Long Line Training Course was designed to teach the basic techniques for using 200 foot / 60m synthetic ropes.
The knowledge acquired in this course is then applied in Long Line flying, transport flights, logging and in mountain rescue operations.

A Robinson R44 Raven II is used for training because it is both an excellent training helicopter and a cost-effective platform for flying with utility Long Lines (200 foot / 60 m). A type rating is not required for the training helicopter. Participants can, of course, also use another helicopter type for the training.

For the Long-Line Training 60 m / 200 foot high-quality synthetic ropes are used in combination with a heavy lifting hook.

The rope / hook ratio, 1.4 kg to 5.7 kg (1:4),  permits the pilot safe flying and complete control of the cargo hook even when no cargo is attached.

The aim of the training is to teach the techniques of Long Line flying in 3 stages, together with Vertical Reference flying.

The knowledge acquired from the Vertical Reference Training enables participants to grasp the basics of Long Line Flying in an effortless and effective way and provides them with greater flight security when manoeuvring the helicopter during external landings on unknown territories.

The principles acquired from flight schools will be consolidated and developed, but  from a vertical rather than a horizontal perspective.

The training aims at improving the collaboration between pilot and marshaller by means of effective communication and hand signals; furthermore it covers various hovering routines, combined with lifting off and landing the helicopter on marked helipads on which the aircraft must be manoeuvered within a tolerance of +/- 3 inches. As the training units progress, the hovering exercises move away from the helipads to the so-called heliports.

Heliports are landing areas which were constructed especially for this type of training. They consist of two fixed, parallel, wooden beams, available in one-storey or multi-storey versions.

The landing routines carried out on these heliports are aimed at simulating  the subsequent landing on prepared logs during the logging procedure.

Stages 2 and 3 aim to teach participants basic and advanced utility flying with external loads.

In this section of the course participants practise, among other things, picking up and laying down the rope with the lifting hook attached, hovering, flying with the attached rope (with and without light cargo) and approaching the landing or working area.

Further components of the training units are flying at operational air speeds, logging (picking up and laying down wooden beams), placing the lifting hook exactly into the hands of the marshaller on the first approach, collaborating with the ground crew as well as hand signal recognition and air / ground communication.

Upon successful completion of the Professional Long Line Training Course participants will have acquired the knowledge and experience to work as Long Line Pilots in the utility sector.