Helicopter Logging - Research Paper Example

 Abstract Logging is the process of cutting down trees and then transporting them from the forest to a factory or a mill. There are various methods through which the process of logging can be carried out and as years have passed the old conventional methods have been replaced by helicopter logging. It is the process of cutting and transporting trees outside the forest to a site by means of a helicopter. It is an expensive method but now many countries prefer to use helicopter logging because the process has many advantages as compared to the old conventional methods. Almost one hundred and seventy five companies are presently running all over the world which provide helicopter logging facility. This is the most environment friendly method of cutting and removing trees. Helicopter Logging Helicopter logging also generally referred to as heli-logging is a very effective and operative method of harvesting timber. Logging is a process of cutting and loading of tree trunks onto trucks or skeleton cars and transporting them to some place outside the forest. Logging can be above ground logging or under water logging, usually the term logging is used for above ground logging. There are many different methods that are employed for logging depending on the conditions of the area from where the trees are to be harvested and the facilities that are available. Helicopter logging is used in those areas where land transport is not possible and in areas which are practically inaccessible like if a forest is very dense it would not be possible for trucks to reach within the forest and transport the timber. It is also used only for the logging of selected trees only. History Helicopter logging can be dated back to 1950’s or 1960’s and it was stared in countries like Norway, Canada and Scotland. Initially the helicopters that were used were not capable of lifting heavy logs and transporting to the loading area. They were usually used for light weighted timber. However by the 1970’s helicopter logging began to be used for more practical purposes as helicopters which were capable of lifting heavy weights were designed. And now helicopter logging is widely used in many countries for removing and transporting of timber. Traditional methods of logging have been quiet replaced by helicopter logging. There are now almost 175 companies all over the world that are operative in the field of helicopter logging. How helicopters are actually used in the process? Helicopter logging can be divided into two main types which are conventional helicopter logging and standing stem helicopter logging. Conventional method of helicopter logging includes the old traditional methods of cutting down trees and then lifting up the trees individually or bundles of wood by means of a hook that is placed below the helicopter. Trees that are knocked down by any method can be lifted by helicopters. The helicopters transfer these individual logs or bundles of log from the cutting site that is the forest to a plain site from where they can be loaded on to trucks or skeleton cars and transported to factories or mills (Helicopter Logging Seminar, Gaskin, & New Zealand Logging Industry Research Association, 1982). Standing stem helicopter logging is a modern method of helicopter logging and involves a more comprehensive study on the plants before cutting them down and loading them. It is a more expensive method as compared to the old conventional method because it requires a detailed study of the location and trees before the logging process. In this method quality of the tree is of more importance than the quantity of the trees or logs that are to be transported. In this method the tree that is to be removed is beforehand marked and then the tree is individually extracted out. This is a method in which the surrounding area in least effected. Through this method the surrounding area remains protected as the surrounding land is not affected during the process (Egging, Gibson, & Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station Ogden, Utah, 1974). The process of cutting the tree and transporting can be divided into four steps. The selection and marking of the trees is the first step and is done by surveyors and engineers. The trees are marked according to the quality and availability of the trees and then the marked trees are bored to check the durability of the trees. It is necessary that the quality of timber be found out because as it is an expensive method therefore this method is used only for the removal of quality timber. If all sorts of wood would be removed using this method it would become a very expensive process and the affordability rate would decrease. The diameters of the selected trees are then recorded. The large branches of the trees are cut down leaving only the smaller branches which are not much extended and then the length of the tree is also measured and all the measurements are fed into a database which then calculates and gives the volume, area, weight and other details so that the arrangements can be made accordingly. It is necessary that all measurements are made accurately because they determine the cost that will be used for the process. The larger the diameter the more cost effective the process would be. The measurements also determine the length at which the topping of the tree is to be done. The second steps involves that the tree is then cut partially at the stem a few inches above the ground and then the tree is supported using wooden wedges. In the third step the helicopter then stands above the tree and then using a grapple grabs the individual tree and then exerts a pull force on the tree until it breaks from the partially cut marks. The last stages includes that the helicopter then transports the tree outside the forest to a site or drops into open water from where it can be collected and transported (DeCosmo, Cambre, Sims & United States, 1990) This method is much easier and convenient as compared to the conventional methods of logging. Conventional logging utilizes rolling down of tree trunks down the road. Conventional methods require that a proper road is first built between the site and the forest so that the tree can be transported to the site. If the tree is present on a steep land then the tree can be rolled down the hill but the rolling process brings a great deal of damage to the nearby land. When the tree rolls down it damages the sensitive soil and the nearby trees thus bringing a lot of damage to the land and making the land barren and infertile, removing all the fertile layer of soil. Using helicopter logging this can issue can be resolved as this method has the least ecological effects and provides the least damage to the neighboring trees and land (Halkett, Nieuwland, Cooper & Forest Research Institute (N.Z.), 1980). The makes and models of helicopters used in the endeavor. Since helicopter logging is an expensive method because of the fuel that is used, it is often made a practice that the helicopter will carry on the process for a period of only half an hour or an hour only. The process of pulling the tree from the forest and then transporting it to the site is called a turn. The greater the number of turns the helicopter will make, the more cost effective the process will be. The usual time for a turn is 20 seconds to one minute. Helicopters that are generally used for this purpose are the heavy-lift Kmax helicopters, other helicopter models that are preferred are the Boeing Vertol 107, Boeing Chinook, Sikorsky S-64 air cranes, Helifor, etc. Different models of helicopters are used depending on the load that is to be lifted and the area from where the load is to be lifted and the use of which helicopter will remain economical for a particular process (Gibson, & Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station (Ogden, Utah), 1974). The special skills, certifications and experience required for the logging pilots. Running a logging helicopter is one huge task and it requires great attention, care and a lot of experience. Most companies prefer that the pilot that they hire must at least have 1000 or 1500 hours of flight experience and then the pilots that are hired have to be trained for this process and this done by making them work as a co-pilot for 2500-3000 hours and then they are capable of carrying out the process. This process requires extreme attention as the pilot has to devise a plan in which he will plan his future move as well as focus properly on his present task. Some companies heir only those pilots who have 5000 hours of experience. To become a pilot it is necessary that you train yourself from a proper helicopter flight training school which gives you a proper certificate at the end of your training. Without proper training and certificate you cannot be hired as helicopter logging pilot. Most of the helicopter logging companies first gives training to the hired pilots because the pilots must be used to of excessive mental and physical stress so that the pilot is capable of working under all sorts of conditions (Boswell, & Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada, 1996). Problems plaguing the sector. Besides having many advantages helicopter logging also have a lot many draw backs. The greatest disadvantage is that the cost that is employed during the process is quite high, although it does not require the building up of a road or path for transport but still the fuel that is utilized is quiet expensive. The size of the tress that can be cut down and transported also gets limited as not all helicopters are capable of lifting heavy loads so this limits that only light weighted trees can be lifted and transported using this process. The land over which the helicopter travels with the load while transporting it out of the forest must all be cleared for the prevention from any sort of causality. For this purpose all the lands over which the helicopter will fly must be vacated and this naturally requires the spending of large amounts of money (Hawe, British Columbia & Nelson Forest Region (B.C.), 1996). Conclusion In this modern era the conventional methods of logging have been almost completely replaced by helicopter logging. Although it is an expensive method but still the advantages that can be achieved using helicopter logging are enormous and this method poses the least negative impacts to the environment and the nearby land. During the process the surrounding trees and the nearby land are not at all effected, the fertile and sensitive layer of soil remains intact and is not destroyed or rolled away with the tree as in this process the tree is pulled out from the ground not rolled on the land. In many parts of the world logging is now carried out by helicopter as it is a much more convenient and environment friendly method as compared to the old conventional method. References Halkett, J., Nieuwland, P., Cooper, T. J., & Forest Research Institute (N.Z.). (1980). Residual forest condition following helicopter logging: A comparison with other selective logging. DeCosmo, J. M., Cambre, T. V., Sims, D. H., & United States. (1990). Helicopter logging: A low-impact harvesting method for the wetlands. Atlanta, Ga: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region, Cooperative Forestry. Egging, L. T., Gibson, D. F., & Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station (Ogden, Utah). (1974). Helicopter logging: A model for locating landings. Ogden, Utah: Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Gibson, D. F., & Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station (Ogden, Utah). (1974). Optimum refueling for helicopter logging: A model. Ogden, Utah: Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Hawe, A., British Columbia., & Nelson Forest Region (B.C.). (1996). Case study: Helicopter logging for bark beetle control. Nelson, B.C: Ministry of Forests. Boswell, B., & Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada. (1996). K-MAX helicopter logging demonstration. Vancouver: Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada, Western Division = Institut canadien de recherches en génie forestier, Division de l'ouest. Helicopter Logging Seminar, Gaskin, J. E., & New Zealand Logging Industry Research Association. (1982). Helicopter Logging Seminar: The proceedings of a seminar held in Rotorua, August 1982. Rotorua, N.Z: N.Z. Logging Industry Research Association. Read More