Trimming trees... from an a/c

RotaryWingBob

RotaryWingBob

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iHover
Here's video of a MD 500 trimming trees along power lines. We had a 500 based here at N99 for a few months -- they did high tension wire inspection and maintenance from it. One of the pilots told me about how sometimes all they could hear over the radios and intercom was static...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMQgt5YiD0w
 
One of our local EAA chapter members builds those saws - at least he used to and I think he still does. He did a presentation about it at a meeting. As I recall, the designer of the thing was killed early on because at that time there wasn't any way to drop the saw from the helicopter and he got hung up in some trees.

Chip
 
Isn't that in one of the James Bond movies?
 
gibbons said:
One of our local EAA chapter members builds those saws - at least he used to and I think he still does. He did a presentation about it at a meeting. As I recall, the designer of the thing was killed early on because at that time there wasn't any way to drop the saw from the helicopter and he got hung up in some trees.

Chip
Click to expand...
I hadn't heard that story. Who would that be? Maybe I'll have him write an article about it for the newsletter.
 
Expensive way to trim trees...

" Helimatic was founded with the belief that the idea of man climbing with chain saws to the top of trees in order to trim back branches is inherently dangerous and unnecessarily risky."

What a crock, this is the same thing my wife says about "little planes" but she still lets me climb trees with chain saws...
 
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Some info on the setup

http://www.farmshow.com/issues/260305.asp

I saw one demo'd for the local power company a few years ago. They used a right of way that was a big ravine, too steep for the mowing equipment. I don't recall helo having much trouble maintaining stability.

Discussion on another forum with pictures of different setups:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=139781

I believe the original set up had an oversized chainsaw as opposed to the circular saw blades currently used. I knew Joe Hartung, a co-owner of the original company that developed this, before his crash in a T-6 during an airshow. :(
 
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Holy crap! Now I've seen everything!

So, this hunter wakes up in the hospital, all busted up and cut to ribbons.

"What happened to you, Bubba?"

"Man, I don't know! I was jest a sittin' in my tree stand, minding my own bid'ness, watching the power line clearing and the next thing I remember is hearing a helicopter and then I'm flying thru the air with branches going everywhere!"
 
geeezz thats pretty crazy..only thing is that this meathod looks more dangerous then actually climbing a ladder that high up...

i wouldnt wanna be around if he accidentally gets cought up in those power lines

Ant
 
RotaryWingBob said:
Here's video of a MD 500 trimming trees along power lines. We had a 500 based here at N99 for a few months -- they did high tension wire inspection and maintenance from it. One of the pilots told me about how sometimes all they could hear over the radios and intercom was static...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMQgt5YiD0w
Click to expand...

I sense a seqel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacres coming soon.
 
Bob, I saw that 500 flying doing powerline patrol near my house one evening a few months back. Impending thunderstorms, low dark clouds, lightning flashes, strong gusty winds -- and that guy was flying like the chopper was a toy on a stick. Forward, backward, sideward, hover, no drift, no nothing. Precision flying like I've never seen, and in absolutely crazy conditions. I was amazed. I ran into the crew a few weeks later at Wings and had to talk to them. No surprise, the pilot flew choppers in the Army. Nice guys, too.
 
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