In an announcement Monday morning, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) announced that it would be flying a helicopter saw along electric transmission lines in December. The “heli-saw” will fly along 46 miles of power line corridors and rights of way from Fort Ross north to Gualala, Elk and Fort Bragg.
“The heli-saw is a fast, efficient way to obtain necessary clearances and reduce storm-caused outages, especially in areas of dense coniferous forests,” said Mark Stewart, PG&E vegetation management supervisor, in a statement.
The saw consists of a series of vertically positioned 30-inch diameter circular saws that are suspended from a helicopter, and is used to trim the sides of trees near high-voltage power lines.
According to the electric company, the heli-saw is used in remote areas and those that are hard to reach for climbing crews.
“Before pruning begins, the helicopter (a 4-passenger A Star) will conduct an initial fly-over of the transmission line without the saw, to review terrain, roads, creeks and other general avoidance areas,” the announcement states. “When pruning begins, the helicopter will fly slowly and at low altitude with the heli-saw suspended.”
Both the helicopter and the heli-saw will fly Monday through Sunday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Up to two to three miles of corridor can be pruned in one day.
