Taking tree trimming to new heights

Posted 10/14/21

Folks in the southwest corner of the county may have seen quite a unique flying machine recently. A helicopter towing a long structure was working at very low altitude. 

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Taking tree trimming to new heights

Posted

Folks in the southwest corner of the county may have seen quite a unique flying machine recently. A helicopter towing a long structure was working at very low altitude. 

The helicopter was a Hughes 500 series aircraft. The structure being towed was a 30-foot steel bar on which was mounted a 28-hporsepower engine and ten vertically-arranged cutting heads. The heads are 24 inches in diameter and driven directly by the small engine at the top of the section. 

That piece of machinery is towed at the end of a 70-foot tether. Hence, from the attachment point of the helicopter, the tow is exactly 100 feet long. 

What is described above is the equipage of a helicopter-cutter under the operation of Aerial Solutions, Inc. of Tabor City, North Carolina. 

Founded in 1985 by William Cox, Aerial Solutions pioneered the concept of using an airborne saw to clear power line rights-of-way.

A crop-duster pilot by trade, Cox had vast experience leveraging the utility of aircraft to effect conditions on the ground. 

According to Aerial Solutions marketing manager Lynn Grayson, Cox recognized the need for a faster way to clear rights-of-way through heavily-forested terrain.

“He was the first to recognize the possibility of using an airborne saw,” Grayson explained. 

Cox launched Aerial Solutions and patented the towable saw. The company has met with great success, and after the patent on the saw expired, has spawned a small number of competitors who use very similar systems.

As Grayson pointed out, airborne clearing has three distinct advantages over ground-based clearing operations: cost savings, speed and safety.

“Our customers tell us that use of our services results in a 15-40% savings compared to using land-based clearing,” Grayson explained.

He also noted that the airborne system can normally clear in one day what it would take a ground crew a week to clear. Lastly, given proper support personnel on the ground, and a skilled pilot, Aerial Solutions is much safer than a work crew in rough terrain with several chainsaws running.

The aircraft of choice for the company is a Hughes 500 – known as the Jeep of the aviation world.

Pilot Jesse West praised the helicopter’s fine touch control and maneuverability.

“The aircraft must respond immediately to my controls,” he explained, “as I fly with my eyes continually on the cutter while we are working.” 

Flying with any type of load tethered to an aircraft poses pilot challenges, and that is no different for West and his fellow pilots.

“You have to learn to discern parallax while watching the cutting head. It is pretty challenging from a visual perspective,” he stated.

Aerial Solutions dispatches two employees, a pilot and a support specialist, together as a team. They may stay in the field for their entire 28-day stint of duty, going from job to job. They work 28 days on and 28 days off. 

The company normally has eight of their eleven aircraft deployed on missions throughout their operating area, which is basically the eastern half of the country. East Texas is at the western edge of the area.

“We are active in 26 states,” Grayson noted.

Support specialist Scott Martin was with West on this local mission. The task was to clear an AEP power line between West Mineola and Grand Saline.

Martin conducted all of the interactions with land owners, secured landing areas for overnighting the helicopter, paid particular attention to keeping personnel clear of the work area, monitored any fence damage, drove the fuel tanker (which also served as a support truck) and contracted support personnel when necessary. 

“Our biggest concern is keeping people clear of the operation. Folks are naturally curious when they see our rig,” he stated.