ELK GROVE, Calif. – California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and law enforcement agencies from around northern California attended short haul training at Franklin Field Airport in Elk Grove June 30. This helicopter long line system is utilized by firefighters, law enforcement officers, and search and rescue teams for quick personnel insertion and extraction via a long line attached beneath the aircraft. This hands-on training is an annual certification requirement.
Short-hauling allows a helicopter to carry people from a line that extends below the aircraft and allows for easy transportation over short distances where terrain is too difficult to traverse. This can be necessary since many illegal marijuana grows are located in remote, hard to reach areas.