Helicopter operations in arid climates can be seriously affected by dust "kicked up" by rotor downwash.  Loss of visibility due to dust is known as "brownout."  Many accidents have occurred because pilots could not see the ground.  With the Heli-Basket^® system a load can be landed or picked up without the helicopter having to land.  Because the helicopter is approximately 100 feet above the ground (depending on the length of the long line), the amount of rotor downwash and the amount of dust generated by the helicopter are greatly reduced.

In addition to dust-sized particles rotor downwash can cause other objects to become airborne.  Foreign object damage (FOD) is also responsible for helicopter accidents.  The Heli-Basket system greatly reduces risks due to FOD.