Unlatching pipe. The Derrickhand or Derrickman position varies greatly from one drilling rig to another. He almost always reports directly to the driller. The name derrickman comes from the position that he normally occupies, which is at the top of the derrick. From this position he guides the stands of drill pipe, typically 90 feet (27 meters) long, into the fingers at the top of the derrick while tripping (removing the drill string) out of the hole.