An independent heavy lift knowledge library

Heavy Lift Helicopter Services: How Industrial and Commercial Lifts Work

A rooftop unit's weight is the starting point for a helicopter lift. The operator still has to check the aircraft's capacity under lift-day conditions and plan how the load will reach its set point. This library explains that work for contractors and estimators: what goes into each pick, meaning one lift of a load, what FAA Part 133 requires, and when a ground crane is the better choice.

Read the Part 133 Reference
20,000 to 25,000 lb Published S-64E / S-64F maximum external cargo
Part 133 FAA requirements for civil rotorcraft external-load work
A through D Four rotorcraft-load combination classes

Lift planning

Heavy Lift Helicopter Services: The Lift Is Planned Before Anything Flies

Before assigning an aircraft, the operator checks the certified load weight and rigging against the conditions at the site. One performance input is density altitude, a measure of air density expressed as an altitude. Higher density altitude means thinner air and affects aircraft performance. Aircraft-specific performance information connects those conditions to the load the helicopter can carry. See the FAA's helicopter performance guidance.

The operator also checks whether the aircraft's certification and limitations allow the proposed operation. Ground work needs its own plan. OSHA 1926.551 requires a daily briefing for helicopter construction work covering the pilot's and ground personnel's plan of operation. That is where the day's work needs to be understood by the people carrying it out.

Those conditions belong in the estimate. A bid should identify the assumptions behind its capacity figure so the operator can revisit them before the lift. The estimate describes the planned job; lift-day performance determines whether that aircraft can carry the load.

The ground crane is the baseline. Clear access and a single pick may make it the better choice. Repeated lifts or a site that is difficult to reach give the helicopter a reason to be considered. Price both methods with their setup and ground arrangements included; the aircraft's hourly rate alone will not settle the comparison.

American Heavy Lift Helicopters is an information project built by rotor wing enthusiasts. It does not sell lift services. The pages explain load charts and load classes, along with the costs and ways a lift can go wrong, for readers estimating a project or working through a lift plan.

OSHA 1926.551 Ground crew rule 14 CFR 133 External load certificate

The fleet

Capacity of the U.S. Civil Heavy Lift Fleet: Published Lifting Figures

These published figures help narrow the aircraft discussion. They describe different models and configurations, and some are hook limits rather than available payload. The operator's approved manual and lift-day performance calculation determine what the aircraft can carry on the job.

AircraftPublished capacityFigure basis and source
Boeing CH-47D Chinook26,000 to 28,000 lbHelimax: 26,000 lb external capacity at standard day, sea level. Billings: up to 28,000 lb at sea level. Different operator specifications.
Erickson S-64F Air Crane25,000 lbErickson: maximum external cargo.
Erickson S-64E Air Crane20,000 lbErickson: maximum external cargo.
Sikorsky S-61N10,000 lbHelimax: external capacity at standard day, sea level.
Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk9,000 lbSikorsky: external cargo-hook capacity.
Bell 214B Big LifterAbout 8,000 lbMcDermott Aviation: 3,636 kg maximum hook load.
Kaman K-MAX6,000 lbKaman: published lifting capacity.
Bell 412EP4,500 lbAvincis specifications, page 4: maximum hook load.

Certification also affects where the aircraft can work. For external-load operations, §133.45(d) prohibits rotorcraft type certificated in the restricted category under §21.25 from operating over densely populated areas, in congested airways or near busy airports with passenger transport operations. Check the specific aircraft's certification and limitations before assessing it for an urban lift. An approved congested-area plan does not remove those restrictions.

Comparing costs

When Does a Helicopter Beat a Ground Crane on Total Installed Cost?

A large crane starts costing money before it makes the first pick. Transport permits and escort loads are part of mobilization, and assembly crews and setup days are billed too. Put those charges beside the daily crane rate when comparing the bids. On an urban job, check the street shutdown costs, including lane-use fees and police details.

The helicopter estimate needs its ground arrangements included as well. A lift over a city block requires protection for people below, so do not assume the street stays open. Compare the complete job costs and the proposed lifting sequence. Repeated picks may favor the helicopter; a crane with straightforward access may still cost less.

Read the Total Lifted Cost Analysis
Ground crane rigged on an urban construction site, the baseline every lift plan compares against
The ground crane is the baseline. Price both columns before an aircraft is assigned.

FAA requirements

What FAA Part 133 Certification Means on a Lift Project

Part 133 governs the civil rotorcraft external-load work discussed here. Its load classes distinguish the load arrangements an operator may use. The operator's certificate must authorize the applicable class, and the work must comply with the Rotorcraft-Load Combination Flight Manual, the approved manual for the aircraft and load combination.

Load classLoad arrangementExample or approval basis
Class AFixed in place, not releasable in flight, and entirely above the bottom of the landing gear.Fixed external rack.
Class BReleasable in flight; carried clear of the land or water.A suspended HVAC unit.
Class CReleasable in flight; keeps contact with land or water.Wire stringing.
Class DAn arrangement outside Classes A, B and C, with FAA approval specific to the operation.Specially approved operation; additional Class D requirements apply.

Load-class summaries follow 14 CFR §1.1. Class D operations also have specific operating requirements in §133.45(e).

For congested-area work, §133.33(d) requires an operation-specific plan coordinated with the responsible FAA Flight Standards office and approval for the operation. It also sets aircraft certification requirements and conditions for protecting people on the ground and providing emergency routes. Review how those conditions affect the site and the schedule with the operator.

Read the Part 133 Reference

Reading paths

Helicopter Lifting Services: Three Mission Categories, One Knowledge Library

Each hub covers a different kind of lifting work, with pages for readers estimating a project or planning how to carry it out.

Heavy twin helicopter lifting a steel girder over an active commercial construction site

Reading path 01

Aerial Construction

How crews place rooftop equipment and structural steel on commercial sites, along with modular buildings and concrete. Start with HVAC and rooftop unit placement for a closer look at the planning behind a rooftop equipment lift.

Four field studies
Helicopter longlining a lattice tower section with riggers waiting on the structure below

Reading path 02

Utility and Infrastructure

Tower erection and transmission line stringing, plus pipeline support and mining freight where terrain limits crane access. These pages explain the work beyond the aircraft: how the load reaches its destination and what the ground crew needs to plan.

Four field studies
Large helicopter carrying a cylindrical industrial duct section on a longline

Reading path 03

Specialized Heavy Lift

Disaster response, certification drop testing and freight for remote sites. This hub also covers external-load operations, the rules behind carrying a load outside the aircraft. Use it to understand how the proposed load arrangement affects the operation's requirements.

Four field studies

Evaluating companies

How to Evaluate Heavy Lift Helicopter Companies

Start by identifying the company that will fly the load. Operators hold the Part 133 certificate and fly the aircraft. Coordinators arrange an operator for the mission. When a coordinator arranges the lift, the certificate check follows the named flight operator.

Review the documents behind the proposed work:

  • The flight operator's certificate and its approved load classes.
  • The aircraft's performance information for the load and expected site conditions.
  • The insurance policies and endorsements relevant to the lift, including any cargo coverage while the load is on the hook. Additional insured status adds a person or organization as an insured. A waiver of subrogation addresses the insurer's right to recover a paid loss from a liable third party. Check what the actual endorsements provide for this project.
  • A written lift plan with named crew roles and the client's responsibilities.

Match those documents to the operator and aircraft in the proposal. A quote form does not establish who holds the certificate or who will fly the load. The same document check applies whether the proposal comes directly from an operator or through a coordinator.

The enthusiasts behind AHLH come from an Air Force aviation family. That background is part of the story on the About page.

The technical library

Cost anatomy, load charts, and lift planning

The articles compare helicopter and crane costs, work through weight capacity and load charts, and explain the regulations behind a lift plan.

Browse the Technical Library

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Frequently asked questions

What Estimators Ask First

In the work covered here, a heavy lift helicopter carries an external load on a belly hook or a longline, a line suspending the load below the aircraft. For scale, Erickson lists maximum external cargo of 20,000 pounds for the S-64E and 25,000 pounds for the S-64F. The weight available for a particular lift depends on the aircraft's performance under lift-day conditions.

Crane transport and assembly can make up a substantial part of the comparison, especially when the job also needs a street shutdown or an access road. Those costs give a helicopter a reason to be priced for the work. Include its ferry flight and ground arrangements in the estimate. Repeated picks, meaning individual lifts, can favor the helicopter; clear crane access and steady lifting over a longer period can favor the crane. Price the same scope on both sides.

Check that the flight operator's certificate authorizes the proposed load class and that the work follows the approved Rotorcraft-Load Combination Flight Manual. Congested-area operations require an operation-specific plan and FAA approval under §133.33(d). Aircraft certification restrictions still apply. The certificate alone does not establish that every part of a proposed lift has already been approved.

The aircraft ferries to the site under its own power. That flight is one part of mobilization. The schedule also has to allow for load checks and ground arrangements, plus any required FAA coordination and approval. Have the operator identify what remains to be completed before lifting can start. Arrival at the site is not, by itself, a ready-to-lift date.

Check the policies and contract for the proposed lift. Identify the coverage for cargo while suspended, the parties insured and any relevant exclusions. Additional insured status and a waiver of subrogation need to be checked in the actual endorsements; their presence in a proposal does not settle every liability question. The lift plan should also identify responsibility for certified load weights and engineered pick points. Confirm those responsibilities before lift day.

Identify the flight operator and check its Part 133 certificate and approved load classes. Then check the proposed aircraft against the load and site conditions, and review the insurance and written lift plan. A coordinator can arrange the operator, but the documents still need to identify the company flying the load. Include the ferry flight in the cost and schedule comparison when considering an aircraft based farther away.