Strix

Chiming in a bit late here...I'm new to drones, but I consider myself an expert on slinging loads. As a Navy H-46 crewchief, I have slung thousands of loads and millions of pounds of cargo. We called it Vertrep. The advantage was that we could move lots of cargo fast, as opposed landing each time and loading cargo into the helicopter. Aerodynamically our biggest worries wear the load swinging into the rotor arc, swinging loads changing the center of gravity, and how the power inputs affect the flight path of the load, The aerodynamics of the load was also affected by where we were in our flight path, ie wind shear across the flight deck/mountain LZ, take off/landings, and especially during Emergencies were the emergency dictated how we flew-sometimes causing us to fly in ways that were not "standard". In order to optimize the speed of slinging loads, I think drones would have to utilize an auto-loading/auto-releasing technology. Quick auto-loading should be easy to make happen. The tricky part would be a release mechanism that is remotely operated. An erroneous signal could cause the load to be prematurely jettisoned. This would be a safety concern at the least. Well, that's my experience...hope that gives you some ideas. R/Eric

Hi Chuck, First let me say I appreciate your comments and I'm looking forward to more. I'm located in Lockhart, Tx. I forget how big Texas is sometimes. I'm hoping my business knowledge and ethics will help my build a solid foundation. I've been managing other peoples businesses for the last 7 years. Recently I took a week long course with the Small Business Association, called "Boots 2Business", this was an eye opener and very informative. I was also an Avionics Technician/helicopter crewman/ training device manager, etc in the Navy so I'm comfortable applying technology to real world scenarios. My challenge, as I see it,is to educate myself on what the world needs, so I can properly equip myself and deliver a quality service. First I need to get my certification! Thanks again, Eric

Hello everyone, My name is Eric and I'm new to the forum and UAS. I am a 20 year Navy veteran with about 3000 hours as a helicopter crewman/rescue swimmer. I also have 12 years of instructor duty including rescue swimmer, MH-60S, and Aviation Physiology/Water Survival. I retired 7 years ago and must say...I miss the Navy. That's one of the reasons I'm looking at starting a drone business. I was going to start a survival training business. After the last hurricane that ripped through Houston I realized a majority of civilians don't spend money the same way the military does...and the market is already saturated with survival websites. I need to do something that impacts my community. I'm studying for the test. Don't have a vehicle yet.Still got my feelers out in regards to what's needed in my area. I would love to be able to work with EMS, law enforcement or State Parks/ wildlife management. Only time will tell. Looking forward to the experience invested here. R/Eric W