Definition
Cargo or equipment carried outside a helicopter's fuselage, typically suspended beneath the aircraft on a cargo hook, sling, or longline. External load operations are governed by 14 CFR Part 133 and are classified into four classes (A, B, C, D) based on how the load is attached and whether it is fixed, free to swing, in or on water, or carrying people.
Plain English
Stuff a helicopter carries on the outside, usually hanging underneath on a hook or rope, instead of inside the cabin.
Context Anchor
Seen in helicopter flight manual limitations, especially when the helicopter is approved to lift cargo underneath it.
Derivation
External means 'on the outside,' from the Latin externus. The term simply distinguishes loads carried outside the airframe from those carried internally in the cabin or cargo bay. The distinction matters because outside loads behave very differently in flight.
Why Pilots Care
External loads change the helicopter's center of gravity, increase drag, and reduce performance margins, requiring pilots to observe specific airspeed, altitude, and weight limits to maintain safe flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read external loads as just “heavy loads.” The important point is location: the load is carried outside the helicopter.
Example Sentence 1
Before lifting the external load, the pilot confirmed the cargo hook was functional and the load did not exceed the limit published in the Rotorcraft Flight Manual.
Example Sentence 2
Helicopter performance charts must be consulted when external loads are carried because they reduce the maximum allowable takeoff weight.