Helicopter, air saw to be used for tree trimming
Ground access to transmission line corridor presents difficulties
DE PERE, Wis. – A helicopter and heavy-duty air saw will be used beginning July 23 to trim trees along two transmission line corridors n Marquette, Houghton and Ontonagon counties.
“The remote nature of the transmission line corridor makes it very difficult to access with ground crews,” says Janssen Baij, maintenance engineer for American Transmission Co. in Kingsford. “The helicopter and air saw can perform trimming in a few hours; a ground-based crew might take several days to accomplish the same amount of work in difficult terrain.”
ATC has contracted with Aerial Solutions, Inc., based in Tabor City, N.C., to perform the work. The company uses McDonnell Douglas helicopters equipped with 24-horsepower saws with multiple rotary blades suspended on a 90-foot vertical boom.
Managing the growth of trees and other vegetation is key to helping ensure public safety and electric system reliability. ATC performs routine vegetation management on its more than 9,440 miles of transmission lines in five-year cycles.