How Do Soldiers Sitting On The Edge Of Helicopters Not Fall Out

Military helicopters are some of the most incredible feats of engineering in aviation, capable of unleashing an immense amount of armaments and carrying soldiers at the same time. Two of the most dangerous and intimidating choppers the military has, the AH-64 Apache and the Black Hawk, are almost household names due to the amount of media including the two beasts.

In videos, pictures, movies, and TV shows that depict these military helicopters, you'll see soldiers sitting in the chopper with their legs hanging over open air. It's almost death-defying as you watch them hang over a drop some people wouldn't even peek over. However, it's actually much safer than you may imagine, as there are multiple forces helping to keep the soldiers exactly where they should be, including the natural gravitational forces (g-forces) the chopper exhibits during motion and wires attached to harnesses the soldiers are wearing.

Soldiers go through extensive training on the proper use of all the safety equipment in the helicopters, including how to correctly latch harnesses that keep them inside. There is also training for emergency procedures and helicopter safety protocols for different types of helicopters. Soldiers also must refresh their training on a regular basis to ensure they're prepared for any situation.

The simplest and most recognizable way soldiers stay inside helicopters is with seat belts. While it's not as exciting as a full-body harness or a reliance on g-force, it's a surefire way to make sure soldiers don't fall out.

Another way that soldiers can sit on the edge of the helicopter without falling is with a specialized harness. The harnesses that soldiers wear feature straps mated to D-rings that attach to a point in the helicopter. Not only does this keep the soldiers from falling out, but it also allows them more freedom of movement than when strapped in by a seat belt. In a worst-case scenario where a soldier falls out of a helicopter, the harness and straps will stop them from falling to the ground.

One of the biggest factors in helping soldiers stay in one place is the g-force applied to both the pilots and the passengers. G-force is the amount of pressure that gravity applies, and in some military helicopters, it can reach up to 4 G, which means it is four times the normal force of gravity. In terms of body weight, the higher the g-force, the higher the perceived weight of those affected. That added pressure helps keep the soldiers in place, as there is a stronger force pulling their bodies to the floor of the helicopter than there is in any other direction. 

Gravity affects everything on the planet, and the basics of aviation boil down to overcoming gravity with the use of engines or rotors. A single g-force is equivalent to standing still and being grounded to the earth. As helicopters, jets, and any other vehicle are in motion, those g-forces increase or decrease depending on how the vehicle is being piloted.

When accelerating or turning at high speeds, more g-forces are applied to the pilot and passengers. Helicopters are designed to withstand far stronger g-forces than what humans are capable of handling. According to Lockheed Martin, builders of the U.S. Army's Black Hawk helicopters, the Black Hawk is capable of handling 20 G of forward force, 20 G of downward force, 10 G of upward force, and 18 G of lateral force.

When g-forces are applied to humans, gravity will move the fluids inside to the outer edges. So, when there's a hard turn to the left, gravity will force the bodily fluids to the left. Most people can withstand up to 5 G without any major issues. However, the human body does not react well to that extra force, and there are only a small number of individuals who can withstand 10 G of force.