Exercises Modernization

An Army Brigade Organizes Helicopter External Sling-Load Flight Training

陆军某旅组织直升机外吊挂飞行训练

PLA Daily (解放军报) 24 May 2026

Summary

An unidentified army brigade conducted helicopter external sling-load flight training at an airfield in western China in early summer, with multiple aircraft lifting off in formation and delivering payloads to a designated target area under simulated contingency conditions including crosswinds and abrupt airflow changes. The article documents a logistics aviation proficiency cycle — crew coordination under dynamic load shift, terrain-complex resupply — and notes the unit plans to extend into nighttime and adverse-weather sling-load subjects. The brigade leader's explicit reference to plateau, island, and mountainous operating environments frames the training against the full range of PLA contingency terrain, though the article names no specific unit, aircraft type, or payload.

Translation

An Army Brigade Organizes Helicopter External Sling-Load Flight Training —— War Eagles Sortie in Formation, Delivering Payloads with Precision

■ Wang Han

Iron wings spinning, engines roaring. In early summer, a certain Army brigade launched a combat-realistic external sling-load flight training exercise at an airfield in the west.

At the training site, at the commanding officer's order, ground maintenance personnel used flag signals to guide helicopters in a slow descent, hovering precisely above the sling-load equipment. Following the flag signal instructions, pilots continuously made fine adjustments to the aircraft's attitude, holding the aircraft at the optimal hook position. Ground rigging personnel moved quickly forward and rapidly attached the sling hooks to the equipment's lift points. Once everything was ready, ground maintenance personnel signaled with flags: cleared for takeoff.

Inside the cockpit, the aircraft commander gripped the control stick, the co-pilot watched the instrument panel, and the onboard safety officer reported the attitude of the sling-load equipment in real time. The moment the sling-load equipment left the ground, the helicopter's center of gravity shifted abruptly. "Equipment drifting left!" Hearing the onboard safety officer's report, the aircraft commander immediately applied rudder to correct the heading, while the co-pilot coordinated power adjustments to keep the oscillation of the sling load within safe limits. Once attitude stabilized, the aircraft accelerated and climbed skyward.

One aircraft, two aircraft, three aircraft… Under the precise command of the on-site commander, the war eagles lifted off one after another and flew toward the sling-load equipment delivery area.

"At the moment of takeoff, the oscillation of the sling load compounded with the high-speed surge of airflow, causing the difficulty of operations to increase exponentially," the on-site commander explained.

Sudden airflow changes, crosswinds exceeding limits… During transit, faced with one unexpected contingency after another, crew members of each aircraft coordinated closely, flexibly adjusting flight altitude, speed, and route to maintain stable aircraft attitude.

"External sling-load flight is an important means of conducting materiel resupply and equipment emergency repair. This type of mission frequently requires operating over complex terrain such as plateaus, islands, and mountainous areas, posing an extreme test of pilot operational precision, crew coordination, and the ability to handle contingencies on the spot," a brigade leader told this reporter.

As the war eagles entered the target area one after another, the test of sling-load equipment delivery arrived. Officers and soldiers at different positions in the participating crews worked in tacit coordination, continuously adjusting flight attitude to reduce sling-load sway.

"Standby — release!" At the command, multiple helicopters successfully delivered their sling-load equipment to the target area with precision.

"This training effectively enhanced each crew's capability to deliver equipment and materiel in complex environments," one participating aircraft commander noted, adding that their next steps will include conducting high-difficulty training subjects such as nighttime external sling-load flight and flight in complex meteorological conditions, in order to continuously consolidate the foundation of battlefield support capabilities.

Original Chinese

陆军某旅组织直升机外吊挂飞行训练—— 战鹰群出精准投送 ■王涵铁翼飞旋，引擎轰鸣。初夏时节，陆军某旅一场实战化外吊挂飞行训练，在西部某机场拉开战幕。训练现场，随着指挥员一声令下，地面机务人员用旗语引导直升机缓缓下降，在吊挂装备上方精准悬停。飞行员依据旗语指令，不断微调机身姿态，将战机保持在最佳挂钩位置上。地面挂索人员迅速上前，将吊索挂钩快速挂接于装备吊挂点。一切就绪后，地面机务人员用旗语示意：可以升空。机舱内，机长紧握操纵杆，副驾驶注视着仪表盘，舱内安全员实时报告吊挂装备姿态。吊挂装备离地瞬间，直升机重心骤变。“装备向左偏移！”听到舱内安全员报告，机长立即蹬舵修正航向，副驾驶配合调整功率，将吊挂物摆荡程度控制在安全范围内。姿态平稳后，战机加速冲向云霄。 1架、2架、3架……在现场指挥员的精准指挥下，一架架战鹰陆续升空，飞往吊挂装备投放区域。 “起飞瞬间，吊挂物摆荡叠加气流高速涌动，导致操作难度成倍增加。”现场指挥员介绍。气流突变、侧风超标……机动途中，面对一个个临机特情，各机组成员密切配合，灵活调整飞行高度、速度、航线，稳定保持机身姿态。 “外吊挂飞行是实施物资补给、装备抢修的重要手段，这类任务常需面对高原、海岛、山地等复杂地形，对飞行员的操作精度、机组的协同配合和临机处置能力而言都是极大的考验。”该旅一位领导告诉笔者。当战鹰陆续进入目标区域，吊挂装备投放的考验随之来临。参训机组不同岗位官兵默契配合，不断调整飞行姿态，减少吊挂装备摇摆。 “预备，放！”随着口令下达，多架直升机成功将吊挂装备精准投送到目标区域。 “此次训练有效提升了各机组在复杂环境下的装备物资投送能力。”参训的一位机长介绍，下一步，他们将开展夜间外吊挂飞行、复杂气象飞行等高难度课目训练，不断夯实战场保障能力根基。