I was going to contest the need to remove the basket, but looking at the RB site, looks like you can do exactly that. I've never encountered a situation where a department has done that, though.
As for doing below grade rescue, RB has a photo on their site indicating the basket doesn't need to be removed for that:
Departments don't like to use aerials as cranes because tip load is increasingly lighter every time companies make smaller aerial trucks with lighter-weight metals. Tip load on the Raptor aerial is 600 pounds, so one firefighter, a Stokes rescue basket and rescued patient with all the 'attachments' (splints, oxygen, etc) is going to come close to that limit.
One thing I do like about RB aerials is the leveling system. I saw it demonstrated on the aforementioned T-Rex. They basically just push "Deploy" and all four outriggers pop out, deploy, and level the truck off. The T-Rex was leveled on a significant grade, with the tailboard nearly touching the pavement and the front axle 6 feet off the ground, all without operator intervention. The computer system is just that smart. Compare that to my department's Squrt, which, though admittedly is using tech nearly 40 years old, relies on me pushing down on two levers, one at a time, and eyeballing if the tailboard is level with the ground.
Having said all that, when it comes to Raptors, I still prefer my own...
