Special missions · external load

Helicopter lift capability calculator

Short answer: the number that matters is not your load weight — it is your load plus rigging plus a planning margin, at the elevation and temperature of the lift. Enter those and this tool returns the required hook capability, which indicative aircraft classes cover it, and the total tonnage of the programme. It does not rule the lift feasible: the performing operator's performance charts do that.

Most lift enquiries arrive with one figure — the weight of the thing being moved. Operators need three more: what the slings, spreader bar and lifting frame add, how much margin the project wants to keep, and where and when the hover happens. High and hot sites cut available capability sharply. This tool assembles the brief in the order operators read it.

Mission inputs

Heaviest single load (kg)The single heaviest item, not the total.Rigging, slings and lifting frame (kg)Planning margin (%)Head-room for weight uncertainty and wet loads.Number of loads in the programmeLift site elevation (m)Expected air temperature (°C)Long-line length (m)0 if the load hangs on a short strop under the hook.Flight profile

These figures are planning arithmetic on the numbers you entered — not a quote, not a performance calculation and not a feasibility ruling. Use them to brief operators; the performing operator confirms what is actually possible.

Required hook capability

1,127 kg

Load 900 kg + rigging 80 kg + 15% planning margin. This is the figure to put in front of operators.

Indicative class that covers it

Light single (H125 / AS350 B3, R66 class)

The everyday utility workhorse: rooftop plant, telecom, ski-lift components.

Classes worth asking about

Light single 700 kg–1,400 kg · Medium / intermediate twin 1,400 kg–2,500 kg · Super-medium / heavy single 2,500 kg–4,500 kg · Dedicated heavy lift 4,500 kg–18,000 kg — Indicative published ranges. The operator's flight manual is the authority.

Programme tonnage

11.8 t

12 loads at 980 kg each, including rigging.

Hover conditions briefed

400 m · 20 °C

Both reduce available capability. Operators size the aircraft from these, not from sea-level figures.

Suspension

30 m long-line

Long-line work needs specifically current crews.

Flight profile

Closed site or open terrain

Drives approvals, exclusion zone and lead time.

Preliminary estimate for planning purposes only — not a confirmed price, availability or booking. Final routing, operational feasibility and pricing must be confirmed by the selected licensed operator.

Worked examples: inputs, planning estimate and request

Each example runs this calculator's own formula on the inputs shown. The results are planning estimates, not quotes. Prices, aircraft and timing are confirmed only after our team reviews the request and checks with licensed third-party operators, subject to availability.

Example 1 · Typical request

Heaviest single load: 900 kg
Rigging, slings and lifting frame: 80 kg
Planning margin: 15 %
Number of loads in the programme: 12
Lift site elevation: 400 m
Expected air temperature: 20 °C
Long-line length: 30 m
Flight profile: Inside a closed site or open terrain

Required hook capability

1,127 kg

Indicative class that covers it: Light single (H125 / AS350 B3, R66 class)
Classes worth asking about: 4
Programme tonnage: 11.8 t
Hover conditions briefed: 400 m · 20 °C

Sample request text sent for human review

External-load lift sizing: heaviest load 900 kg + rigging 80 kg, 15% margin → required hook capability 1,127 kg. 12 loads, programme tonnage 11.8 t. Site elevation 400 m, expected 20 °C. Long-line 30 m. Flight profile: inside closed site or open terrain. Indicative class: Light single (H125 / AS350 B3, R66 class).

Example 2 · Smaller request

Heaviest single load: 540 kg
Rigging, slings and lifting frame: 50 kg
Planning margin: 10 %
Number of loads in the programme: 7
Lift site elevation: 250 m
Expected air temperature: 12 °C
Long-line length: 20 m
Flight profile: Inside a closed site or open terrain

Required hook capability

649 kg

Indicative class that covers it: Light single (H125 / AS350 B3, R66 class)
Classes worth asking about: 4
Programme tonnage: 4.1 t
Hover conditions briefed: 250 m · 12 °C

Sample request text sent for human review

External-load lift sizing: heaviest load 540 kg + rigging 50 kg, 10% margin → required hook capability 649 kg. 7 loads, programme tonnage 4.1 t. Site elevation 250 m, expected 12 °C. Long-line 20 m. Flight profile: inside closed site or open terrain. Indicative class: Light single (H125 / AS350 B3, R66 class).

Example 3 · Larger request

Heaviest single load: 1440 kg
Rigging, slings and lifting frame: 130 kg
Planning margin: 25 %
Number of loads in the programme: 19
Lift site elevation: 650 m
Expected air temperature: 32 °C
Long-line length: 50 m
Flight profile: Inside a closed site or open terrain

Required hook capability

1,963 kg

Indicative class that covers it: Medium / intermediate twin (H145, AW139 class)
Classes worth asking about: 3
Programme tonnage: 29.8 t
Hover conditions briefed: 650 m · 32 °C

Sample request text sent for human review

External-load lift sizing: heaviest load 1,440 kg + rigging 130 kg, 25% margin → required hook capability 1,963 kg. 19 loads, programme tonnage 29.8 t. Site elevation 650 m, expected 32 °C. Long-line 50 m. Flight profile: inside closed site or open terrain. Indicative class: Medium / intermediate twin (H145, AW139 class).

Turn this estimate into a mission request

The figures above are a planning frame, not an offer. Send the mission and SkyMatch reviews it, researches operators holding the relevant approvals and comes back with current options. Your inputs are carried across — nothing needs retyping.

Request current operator options Check mission feasibility

See how a request becomes a confirmed flight — review, operator options, written confirmation.

What actually moves this number

Rigging weight. Slings, shackles, spreader bars and lifting frames are part of the hook load, and they are routinely forgotten in first enquiries.
Elevation and temperature at the hover, not at the base. A lift that is routine at sea level can be marginal at 1,800 m in August.
Hover height and time over the drop point. Precision placement on a roof or tower costs performance that a straight terrain drop does not.
Long-line length. Beyond roughly 50–60 m it becomes a crew-currency question as much as an aircraft question.
What the load flies over. Closed site, public road, railway or occupied buildings are four different approval processes.
Load shape. Bulky, soft or flat loads behave badly in the air well below the aircraft's weight limit.

What this tool does not decide

Whether any aircraft with the required hook capability is genuinely available in your window — that is capacity, not arithmetic.
Whether the operator's performance charts support the lift at your elevation, temperature and hover height.
Whether the authority, the site owner and the road, rail or building owner approve the flight profile and the exclusion zone.
Whether the rigging, slings and lift points are certified and correctly specified for the load.
The binding price. Operators quote lift programmes; these tools size the mission first.

SkyMatch Group is an independent helicopter charter broker and a human-reviewed mission platform. It does not operate aircraft. Every flight is performed by an independent licensed operator, and every introduction is approved by SkyMatch before it happens.

For procurement & project buyers

Specifying an external-load helicopter lift in a tender

If you are writing a scope of work rather than shopping for a flight, the tender needs four things: the rigged weight of the heaviest load, the number of loads, the elevation and expected temperature at the lift, and what the load flies over. Those four decide which aircraft class an operator can offer. Copy the specification below into your RFQ or ITT, and send it through for human review — SkyMatch researches operators holding the relevant approvals and returns current options.

Scope of work lines you can reuse

Aerial external-load (sling / cargo-hook) transport of defined loads between a named staging area and a named placement point.
Operator supplies aircraft, crew, cargo hook and long-line as required, plus ground-handling coordination at both ends.
Buyer supplies load weights, certified rigging where applicable, staging area, banksman/ground crew and site access control.
SkyMatch confirms performance for the actual aircraft at the site's elevation and temperature before any load is flown.
Programme is weather-dependent; standby and weather-hold terms to be stated in the quotation.

Supplier qualification checklist

Air operator certificate held by the performing operator, with the external-load / aerial-work privilege listed on it.
Evidence of the specific approval for the work: human external cargo, long-line, or over-populated-area operations where applicable.
Insurance certificate showing hull and third-party liability limits, and whether your site and your client are covered as additional insureds.
Pilot experience stated against this class of work (external load hours), not general flight hours.
Mass and balance plus HOGE performance data for the actual aircraft at the site's elevation and expected temperature.
Site-specific risk assessment, method statement and load-rigging plan before mobilisation.
Named point of contact for the flight days and the escalation route if weather stops the programme.

Paste-ready RFQ specification

Request current operator options

HELICOPTER MISSION — REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (draft specification)

1. SCOPE OF WORK
- Aerial external-load (sling / cargo-hook) transport of defined loads between a named staging area and a named placement point.
- Operator supplies aircraft, crew, cargo hook and long-line as required, plus ground-handling coordination at both ends.
- Buyer supplies load weights, certified rigging where applicable, staging area, banksman/ground crew and site access control.
- SkyMatch confirms performance for the actual aircraft at the site's elevation and temperature before any load is flown.
- Programme is weather-dependent; standby and weather-hold terms to be stated in the quotation.

2. TECHNICAL DATA (from the buyer's own planning inputs)
External-load lift sizing: heaviest load 900 kg + rigging 80 kg, 15% margin → required hook capability 1,127 kg. 12 loads, programme tonnage 11.8 t. Site elevation 400 m, expected 20 °C. Long-line 30 m. Flight profile: inside closed site or open terrain. Indicative class: Light single (H125 / AS350 B3, R66 class).

3. SUPPLIER QUALIFICATION & DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
- Air operator certificate held by the performing operator, with the external-load / aerial-work privilege listed on it.
- Evidence of the specific approval for the work: human external cargo, long-line, or over-populated-area operations where applicable.
- Insurance certificate showing hull and third-party liability limits, and whether your site and your client are covered as additional insureds.
- Pilot experience stated against this class of work (external load hours), not general flight hours.
- Mass and balance plus HOGE performance data for the actual aircraft at the site's elevation and expected temperature.
- Site-specific risk assessment, method statement and load-rigging plan before mobilisation.
- Named point of contact for the flight days and the escalation route if weather stops the programme.

4. COMMERCIAL BASIS
- Quoted per flight hour and/or per lift cycle, positioning stated separately.
- Standby, weather-hold and cancellation terms stated in writing.
- Validity period and currency stated by the operator.

5. NOTES
- Figures above are indicative planning inputs, not an offer and not a feasibility ruling.
- Subject to SkyMatch human review, operator approval, aircraft availability, weather,
safety requirements, landing permissions and local regulations.

Indicative planning text only. It is not a quotation and does not confirm availability, permits or feasibility; the performing operator and the relevant authorities decide those.

Procurement questions, answered

What technical data does an operator need before quoting an external-load lift?

Rigged weight of the heaviest load (load plus slings, spreader and hook hardware), the number of loads, pickup and placement coordinates with elevations, the expected temperature window, the required completion window, and what the load overflies. Without those the operator can only give a class, not a quotation.

How should the lift be priced in the tender documents?

Ask for it per flight hour and/or per lift cycle, with positioning, standby, weather-hold and cancellation stated separately. Utility and external-load work is not priced like passenger charter, so a single day rate hides the risk that matters to you.

Who is responsible for the rigging and the load?

Normally the buyer or its contractor certifies the load and its rigging, and the operator approves the attachment and carries the flight. Write that split into the scope of work so it is not discovered on the flight day.

Can SkyMatch confirm that this lift is feasible?

No. SkyMatch is an independent broker and mission platform, not an operator. Feasibility on the day is decided by the performing operator's performance data, the site owner and the relevant authority. What SkyMatch does is review your mission, source operators with the right approvals, and come back with written options.

Frequently asked questions

Does rigging weight really change the aircraft class?

Often, yes. A 1,350 kg load with a 120 kg lifting frame and a 15% planning margin needs about 1,690 kg of hook capability — which moves the conversation from light-single to medium or super-medium class. That is exactly why operators ask for the rigged weight, not the nameplate weight.

How much capability do I lose at altitude or in heat?

There is no single answer, and anyone publishing one is guessing. Loss depends on the type, engine, weight, hover height and wind. What is reliable: it is always a loss, it grows with both elevation and temperature, and it is calculated from the operator's charts for the actual airframe. Brief the exact pad elevation and the expected temperature window.

Can one lift be split into two?

Sometimes — and it is frequently cheaper than moving up an aircraft class, because the larger classes are scarce. Whether your load can be split is an engineering decision for the load owner or manufacturer, not an aviation one.

What do you need from me to source operators for a lift?

Rigged weight of the heaviest load, number of loads, pickup and drop locations with elevations, the working window, what the load flies over, and any site or authority constraints you already know about. That is enough to start a structured operator search.

Why does the tool not tell me which helicopter can lift my load?

Because no honest tool can. Hook capability on the day depends on the specific airframe and its configuration, fuel state, hover height, wind, temperature, site elevation and the operator's performance charts. The class ranges shown here are indicative manufacturer figures for planning conversations; the operator's flight manual is the only authority.

Why is there no price on this page?

External-load and aerial-crane work is priced differently from passenger charter — by lift programme, positioning, rigging crew, ground support and standby, not by seat. Publishing a number here would be a guess. These tools size the mission so operators can quote it properly, and the comparison tool works only with figures you already hold.

Who approves flying a load over a site, road or building?

The relevant civil aviation authority and, depending on the country, local authorities, the site or building owner and the road or rail operator. Approvals, exclusion zones, closures and public-safety conditions are set by them, not by SkyMatch or by this calculator.

Does this calculator book a lift?

No. It is a planning tool. SkyMatch Group is an independent helicopter broker and a human-reviewed mission platform: the lift brief is reviewed by a person, operators holding the relevant external-load approvals are researched, and an introduction happens only once SkyMatch approves it. The performing operator confirms aircraft, performance and feasibility.

Markets this calculator is built for

The same inputs, applied to the industrial regions where these missions actually run.

Construction heavy-lift helicopterLifting into sites a crane cannot reach.Manufacturing equipment liftPlant, chillers and machinery onto live sites.Remote infrastructure supportSlope, rockfall, remote construction and repair.Telecom tower constructionTower sections and equipment by air.Power & utility missionsLines, pylons and corridor work.Industrial downtime charterWhen the line is stopped and hours cost money.

Related planning tools

Lift day calculatorHow many lifts fit in one working day.Helicopter lift vs crane calculatorYour crane and access numbers, side by side.Payload & equipment calculatorPeople plus tools against real payload.Remote tower feasibilityTower-site access planning.Helicopter external load & aerial craneHow hook and long-line work is actually structured.Special missions hubLift, survey, powerline, offshore and medical.

Using an AI assistant, or buying through procurement?

SkyMatch is an independent broker: it reviews each helicopter charter request and passes it to licensed operators. SkyMatch does not own or operate aircraft. Availability, permits, landing permission, weather, route feasibility and the final price are confirmed by the operator for each request, in writing, before you commit. Estimates on this site support research only.

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How long is a helicopter ride? Times by distance

Straight-line air-time estimates at a typical cruise of about 150 mph. Add start-up, taxi and any routing around restricted airspace; the licensed operator confirms the real time for each flight. Price on request.

How long is a 2-mile helicopter ride?

About 1 minute of flying time for 2 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 5-mile helicopter ride?

About 2 minutes of flying time for 5 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 10-mile helicopter ride?

About 4 minutes of flying time for 10 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 15-mile helicopter ride?

About 6 minutes of flying time for 15 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 20-mile helicopter ride?

About 8 minutes of flying time for 20 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 25-mile helicopter ride?

About 10 minutes of flying time for 25 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 30-mile helicopter ride?

About 12 minutes of flying time for 30 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 50-mile helicopter ride?

About 20 minutes of flying time for 50 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 100-mile helicopter ride?

About 40 minutes of flying time for 100 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.