# Helicopter cutting trees



## smokechase II (Sep 15, 2006)

Give http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMQgt5YiD0w

a look. Have to bear through the first 3 minutes to get to the good stuff.

What I noticed was this video shows how difficult it is to control a device below a helicopter. Watching the pilots on fires is fairly similar when they work with water buckets (filled with scuba divers) or especially long lines with cargo slings.


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## TackleTree (Sep 15, 2006)

I would sh*t my pants if i was in the woods and saw that. Yes must be a very good pilot because that thing was throwing the helicopter around. I think that heli may be a bit to small. Maybe you could tie off a bunch of guys with chainsaws instead?LOL


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## Ekka (Sep 16, 2006)

So much for collar cuts


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## Caledonian (Sep 16, 2006)

We supply similar cutters, made by Mulag. Ours fit in place of mower heads on telescopic arms, powered by Unimogs. That helo pilot is nuts


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## Grace Tree (Sep 16, 2006)

I wonder if he can release the whole unit and let it drop if he gets it hung up. 
Phil


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## Reddog (Sep 16, 2006)

this was in the comments below the vid from the filmer.

The inventor of the saw got it hung up in a tree on the first flight. And ran the helicopter out of fuel. The current owner of the saw read about it in a newspaper and bought the saw and wrecked helicopter from his widow. They held the US patent on this device until about a year ago. They have 6 saws running today. The new saws have an emergency disconnect, so they may separate from the saw and fly away. The large box hanging from the aluminum pole is a snowmobile engine.


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## jonseredbred (Sep 17, 2006)

I am wondering how I could adapt that to a residential tree trimming program.

Now that would be a video.


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## Yellowdog (Sep 17, 2006)

that's insane. what if you get too close to the lines from a sudden gust of wind? Ooops...


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## jonseredbred (Sep 18, 2006)

its not grounded, perfectly safe for helo.


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## l2edneck (Sep 18, 2006)

i seen on history or discovery where they check the high lines and dude actually reached out bare handed and grabbed the line.CRAZY MOFO


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## trimmmed (Sep 18, 2006)

I wonder what the pilots line of sight is, or how he aims that thing.


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## TackleTree (Sep 18, 2006)

I believe that there is a window or bubble at the pilots feet. Still freekin crazy. I cant beleive that is safe. At least use a bigger chopper. That little thing looks like a fart in a windstorm.


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## olyman (Sep 26, 2006)

and--were watching the trees real close--when he started--just a breeze--but towards the end of film looking at the top of one tree--blowing hard---CRAZY!!!!


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## Blinky (Oct 20, 2006)

Probably better to not bowhunt around powerlines anymore.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Oct 21, 2006)

That pilot is not nuts, and he's not crazy.


He's FOOLISH. That chopper is WAY too small for that job.

His groundman is also foolish. Watch where he walks when the lift and touch down is taking place. Right in the danger zone, and for no reason. His refueling is unsafe as well.

Neither one seems to have any idea of safe practices around helos.


I see this going over big with power company execs. The cost savings are obvious. They can put clearance and all his buddies out of work.

Right until the first, inevitable, crash takes out a chopper and a major power line.

Then the obvious will be undeniable: This is stupid.


At that particular location, that saw mounted on a boom truck arrangement would probably work very well. Faster and much safer. Of course, I realize this was just a demo, and that this will go places where a truck cannot. Still, I see the truck mounted unit as being something that would offer savings in a lot of places.


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## Rleonard (Nov 13, 2006)

A crew of these guys worked in our area on powerline trimming. They are contracted and can work more cost effective in rugged areas where a ground crews cannot get the equipment in to trim the ROW (right of way). They were doing quite well. Yes they did have an emergency disconect. 

Bob


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## Themadd1 (Nov 14, 2006)

Unbelievable what OSHA allows these days... I wish I had a saw that big.

Is there an ANSI standard for this yet, because if I slip and fall at work, we get sued. I cant imagine the insurance rates on this type of application.

Good luck to the trees in a few years with those violent gaping cuts. The electric company is going to have to spend so much more money in the future to remove the storm damage on their power lines.. Snootches


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## clearance (Nov 14, 2006)

Themadd1 said:


> Unbelievable what OSHA allows these days... I wish I had a saw that big.
> 
> Is there an ANSI standard for this yet, because if I slip and fall at work, we get sued. I cant imagine the insurance rates on this type of application.
> 
> Good luck to the trees in a few years with those violent gaping cuts. The electric company is going to have to spend so much more money in the future to remove the storm damage on their power lines.. Snootches


Ah, I see all the experts are now about, Themadd and Blue Ridge, are you guys utility certified (not the gay ISA cert., I mean really), or are you helicopter pilots or what? All very well to mouth off, but whats your authority or knowledge? Lets give it a chance.


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## Monk (Nov 15, 2006)

Clearance is right I spent months in a swamp up to my neck trimming and cutting down treesin NC. I would have loved one of them to role on to the job swamp water is nasty stuff ecspecially with water mocasins and drop offs and quick sand it just isn't cool. As far as the ones on equipment they are called giraffes and are mounted on a skidder carriage. They are pretty slick but dont do well in 4 or 6 feet of water or on the side of a cliff. If the pilot did mess up as long as he hit only one wire he would be alright he gets more than that I wish the best to him.


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## Themadd1 (Nov 16, 2006)

Seriously sarcasm is always lost on these posts. I think overall the video is pretty damn cool. I was merely continuing the regulation jokes from earlier. The RPM's on those blades have to insane to get the cuts like the video is showing.. They look like they are falling faster than grass with my weed wacker.

People dont get so worked up. This is what we do on our down time. I know there is a lot of education on here but I guess it is hard to see the sarcasm from earlier. :monkey:


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## smokechase II (Nov 16, 2006)

*maybe it is a good tool in the right place*

I started this little thread.
Sorry. It won't happen again.

I've never seen one of these helicopter operations.
Have seen where they have been.

It does seem to me that after most of the bugs get worked out, this is a reasonable idea.

There is no reason to care about properly trimming a branch in many of these settings. Sub tropical forests are just full of life and either raping the land regular or major chemical attacks would be a lot worse.

So unless any of you can drop your costs by 75% and are crazy enough to take on that ménage of vegetation. Let it be.

However, from my experience in wildland fire, stand back. 

I'm amazed that the first prototype didn't have an emergency cut away.


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## jefeVTtreeman (Nov 16, 2006)

Poor Bambi , mamas been cut into thousands of pieces by the big bad flying saw. OUCH!!!


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## woodchux (Nov 16, 2006)

Monk said:


> As far as the ones on equipment they are called giraffes and are mounted on a skidder carriage. They are pretty slick but dont do well in 4 or 6 feet of water



They make a tracked unit that can float on water!


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