Helicopter Forestry Extraction

Employed in the early 1950’s, helicopter yarding is extremely versatile due to its ability to avoid many of the obstacles that encumber ground based and skyline systems in Washington. This includes site sensitivity, urgency to remove or deliver the material, lack of access, and slope of the terrain. Helicopters use in forestry/yarding continues to expand.

Some of the advantages of helicopter logging:

• The number of miles of roads may be reduced.
• It can be used on any type of terrain.
• It can be used with any type of silvicultural prescription.
• It will reduce the impact & scarification to the environment, as the logs are lifted vertically.
• It is able to transport & clear large volumes of logs quickly.

The many roles & considerations of 'Heli-Forestry'

GeoHeli employs a certain personnel combination. Along with the pilot and additional maintenance personnel, there are specialized jobs on site that are referred to as chokers (working ahead of the helicopters to pre-set logs that need to be extracted), hookers (attach the pre-choked logs to a drop line attached to the helicopter), and chasers (unhooks the chokers at the landing). The practice involving the chokers, hookers, and chasers is referred to as the "yarding cycle". The yarding cycle requires intense planning and consideration to account for the external yarding distance, felling and bucking (determining the size and cutting of the trees to minimize scarification to the area), weather conditions, hook cycle (the area where the wood is choked and hooked), wood availability, and more. This is why our expert staff at GeoHeli in Washington is essential in handling of these logistics. In a project with so many variables and external factors, it is important to have a team with the experience and knowledge to carry out these projects seamlessly.

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