The behavior of an external load while in flight can greatly affect the performance of the aircraft carrying it. For this reason it is important to minimize the drag on the aircraft caused by the load. A high drag coefficient will reduce the airspeed of the aircraft, reduce the amount of time that the aircraft will be available to you, and could possibly endanger the aircraft and its crew (a helicopter pilot will not hesitate to "punch a load" if he feels that his aircraft is endangered). In order to minimize drag, it is necessary to stabilize the load.