A company that trims trees for the power line right of way visits us every 5 years.They park & refuel their chopper at our farm for 2 or 3 days.I always enjoy talking to the pilot & ground crew,then we go to the house and my grandmother makes coffee and apple pie.
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Helicopter in my barn lot.
- Thread starter td25c
- Start date
cat 385
Senior Member
wow nice,that would be an interesting job being a pilot like that,have you talked him out of a ride yet?:notworthy
willie59
Administrator
cat 385
Senior Member
digger242j
Administrator
That's cool! :drinkup
I have to ask--what's the power source for the trimmer? I mean, it's not like choppers come with a PTO or aux hydraulics...
I have to ask--what's the power source for the trimmer? I mean, it's not like choppers come with a PTO or aux hydraulics...
It's hard to tell from the picture, but that looks like a Hughes 500.
Do you know what it is 25c?
OCR...
Its a 1978 "bell Hughes 500" The aircraft world is different from equipment & automobiles.They just keep servicing and replacing engines & rotor blades.Its the same way with fixed wing aircraft.I dont feel to bad about running my older heavy equipmet after talking to those guys.
That's cool! :drinkup
I have to ask--what's the power source for the trimmer? I mean, it's not like choppers come with a PTO or aux hydraulics...
They used to use a "rotax 2 cycle engine".They upgraded to a new lightwieght 4 cycle engine.I think of its name tommaro.The engine sets in the compartment obove the saw blades.The pilot controls a clutch on the engine by wireless remote to start or stop the saw.The groundman also has the same wireles remote controll.
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bill onthehill
Senior Member
Those blade trimmers are awesome. they can trim more trees in an hour than a whole army of climbers can do. It takes an extra steady pilot to keep it out of the heavy stuff or it gets to dancing around. Seen them used in upstate Pa. before. They go up and down the steep hills so quick. Between chopper maintenance and the blades I am sure it is not a cheap operation to run.
I wonder what the hourly rate is? And do the saws ever catch and cause jerking?
We had one parked on our place in Alabama back maybe 15 years ago. It was being used to cut ROW for the RR. I talked to someone on the RR a couple years back and he said he remembered the "chopper". He said (heresay- is it true? :beatsme) that the chopper crashed somewhere between Mobile and New Orleans due to the saws. The RR no longer uses the Chopper for clearing.
Best I can remember from the chopper here, I recall the saw blades being huge! Maybe 3 ft or so. Either way it looked fun/scary!
We had one parked on our place in Alabama back maybe 15 years ago. It was being used to cut ROW for the RR. I talked to someone on the RR a couple years back and he said he remembered the "chopper". He said (heresay- is it true? :beatsme) that the chopper crashed somewhere between Mobile and New Orleans due to the saws. The RR no longer uses the Chopper for clearing.
Best I can remember from the chopper here, I recall the saw blades being huge! Maybe 3 ft or so. Either way it looked fun/scary!
I dont know about the rate.I would think it might be by the mile.If you buy electricity in the U.S. you are paying for there service.The saw they had at our farm had 2 foot blades.It can catch and jerk sometimes.They are mostly trimming the smaller overhanging limbs.The pilot can let the saw&80 foot pole go in case of emergency.They have a grab lever monted on the "cyclic" control that opens a latch on the belly of the chopper.Thats bad about the RR job accident you described.Its a very risky buisines they are in,The chopper is working 100 to 150 feet off the ground carrying an 800 lb. saw with trees on both sides and a high tesion power line in the middel , so "autorotation"is not much of an option.The pilot told me all they hope for is survival in the event of an emergancy.
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Its all gone. Dont worry,My 86 year old grandma can whip up another one with an hour's notice.
willie59
Administrator
qball, you ain't gettin' my piece of pie!
Dont worry guys. there is enough coffee and apple for everyone.
