I wasn't sure where to stick this.
WOW! This is crazy. That is one good pilot.
Helicopter Tree Sawing In The MD 500 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pla06PO6Odk)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10017/choppertrim_zoom1.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1522202508)
That's how they do our lines, it's pretty impressive.
You can see the head and the bar below it in the pines this side and to the right of the pole.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10017/choptrim_014.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1522202610)
The time before this when they did the pines it killed a few and one landed in the line later and tripped the breaker up the mountain at night. It's a pretty rough cut. After they did it this time I asked the engineer if he would send in a crew to drop the trees which he agreed to do. It opened up a wider path but hopefully they won't have to send that guy in again for some time. It is something else to be looking at the pilot as he works his way up the hill.
That is dangerous work, the pilot would have little time to punch it off if it got hung up. As Don says, the cut is pretty rough.
I live next to some power lines and saw one of those go by last year. I just sat there and watched and that is one bad machine. It hits those limbs and never slowed down and those pilots definitely got some series flying skills. These were multiple high voltage lines they cut. They have also had ground crews clearing 15 feet on either side of the smaller lines going to homes here. Came home after they went through and they had cut one side of a tree all the way to trunk from top to bottom. Look like the dickens so I finished it off myself. :)
Looks like stickin a screw driver into a live panel to me!
I'll bet there is some pucker time involved especially in the early learning curve.
They used one of those rigs here a few years back. I don't know what they pay those pilots but it ain't enough!
I was driving by a power line corridor, and see them string up a new set of high voltage lines.
There are 2 guys sitting on the ski of the helicopter, attaching the lighting ground wire.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18492/IMG_4464.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1522522132)
The pilot seemed to keep the chopper rock solid, but those guys on the ski have nerves of steel.
JJ
Most of those saws run at least 6-9 blades and are powered by a 27 horse koler
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on March 31, 2018, 08:27:51 AM
They used one of those rigs here a few years back. I don't know what they pay those pilots but it ain't enough!
Actually the pay isnt half bad compared to other heli kobs out there. Once i get my commercial cert and my ia (quality control inspector, so to speak) this fall, im gonna start flying for my business partner for free doing areial hog hunts to build my time. Hopefully either get on with my current company, or seriously thought about doing something in this field of work. It seems in this kind of work, a pilot who is a mechanic and inspector are sought after and paid a good wage.
This work seems to be as dangerous as it looks. Another crash this week. I'm sure all or the crews mentioned were very competent but crazy dangerous is crazy dangerous no matter how good you are.
https://www.dailyfreeman.com/news/national/dispatcher-hurt-in-helicopter-crash-in-northern-ny/article_c101bf8e-fb5c-561a-8ffd-d83fd4c3225f.html (https://www.dailyfreeman.com/news/national/dispatcher-hurt-in-helicopter-crash-in-northern-ny/article_c101bf8e-fb5c-561a-8ffd-d83fd4c3225f.html)
I think the drone idea mentioned in the article will be the norm someday....Back in the day we used to do "power line patrol" in bell 47s/Oh-13s in New York....it was a lot of fun and you just had to worry about running out of power as you neared the top of the mountains