crash course heli logging.

066logger

hi all, im looking for a new job and heli logging sounds like something i would like to try. i have grown up in the woods between hunting fishing canoeing camping cutting firewood and everything else to do with the woods. im fairly competent with a chainsaw. i can plunge cut, buck logs, limb, cut a humboldt fairly good although i dont use it much cause i just cut firewood. all with an 066 with 36" bar. i have wedged lots and lots of trees, jacked a few over and learned the safe side of the tree to be on when cutting. i know to look for widow makers and when i need to plunge cut to avoid barber chairs,(lean, wind, lopsided tops,). i can normally make my trees end up within a foot or 2 of where they shouldhave went within reason that is. now im from missouri so all i have ever cut is hardwoods, mainly 20" to 50". i have cut a few bigger but they are far and few between around here. i wear ppe all the time and dont dropstart my saw. now i have never climed. i dont have a problem with heights though. i was just wondering if any of youall that have done it could give me some pointers on what else i need to learn. ill admit im still green as im only 18. thanks in advance for all the advice. oh im looking at going to BC for this job.

066logger

no replys? really lol? i figured helli loggin would be a hot topic. youall think this should be in a different area?

Eric Frei

Wintec in NZ run a course.

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jim1nz

You really need to contact a heli logging crew directly to find out what they require.

You should get some qualifications for sure. First aid certificate and driving license is always a must.

Do you want to end up climbing or focus on felling? Sure you could do both but im sure the pay is different for both..

If your 18 you have a lot of experience to get before they let you anywhere near a heli. The best way if your as keen as you sound is to get as highly qualified as possible and work your way up, gain felling experience then you will have options.

You know they dont actually lift with you anywhere near the site ay? Heli logging is different to dismantling with helicopters. The most common process is a climber cuts branches off, removes the top so its a standing pole then a expert feller step cuts or jacks the spar. The heli flys in and lifts the spar out with a mechanical grapple. Or the other way they fell the trees, limb and have guys breaking out for the heli, not the most exciting really.

Hope thats answers some questions mate

066logger

thanks. and yea i was pretty sure thats how the process went but i wasnt sure if the climbers also set up the trees to be lifted off or if their were other ppl that did that, thanks for the clarification. and i talked to one operation up their and told him that i wasnt a certified climber or anything and he didnt really seem to have a problem with it. is this something that you can get while on the job or is it something you need to go to school for? and really if all i did was fall trees even for a conventional operation i would be perfectly happy. not climbing means less gear that i need to buy and maintain.

jim1nz

Climbers logging in the forest defiantly dont have pieces lifted off while they are in the tree. Arborists in a urban situation do occasionally dismantle with a heli.

Well you will have much more respect with a little experience and a qualification. You dont want to be the 'greenhorn' for ever.

A good place to start would be on the ground felling trees conventionally.

Cheers

066logger

[QUOTE=jim1nz;102889]Climbers logging in the forest defiantly dont have pieces lifted off while they are in the tree.

i would hope not LOL. that might be slightly insane. i was just thinking that the climbers did all of the tree topping/cutting for the helli, didnt kno their was a seperate crew that set the trees up.

Martin

Worked with one of the main single stem contractors here on the west coast for 5 years( there direct comp to cloussen's crew on the not totally accurate heli loggers show). After the engineers mark out the stems we send in fallers to build the heli pads, then depending on the site the fallers fall danger trees and some of the stem trees that can be fell and saved out and marked for the chopper (dots of paint). the climbers come in and top the trees mark the tops once thats all done us fallers go back in (I do all the phases but mainly fall conventional blocks) and jig up the stems then as they fly we follow from the uphill side(of course) and clear all the stems call the chopper back (if he missed one or to fly a knock over that we usually have to remark) until all the stems are confirmed gone(can't leave a cut up stem behind!) Thats the process for the single stem heli-logging. For regular heli logging you have the fallers who fall of course and then the heli crew who mark the block (if its all grapple which is most common nowadays and all the crane does) or for helifor Vertol and Chinook they still have some crews that are choking for the machine. You'd have to be a certified faller to do any falling in this area but the single stem climbers and windfirmers up here don't have to be certified but do have to prove themselves as very capable and fit climbers. The company is AFO Alternative Forest Operations you can check out their site at Alternative Forest Operations. Have fun and good luck - Marty PS when you see the second picture 2/6 on their site waving from beside the A-star - thats me! We were building heli pads for the ministry of forests at the time.

066logger

thanks for explaining it for me and yea thats the company i was looking at working for just waiting to call him back to see if i got the job. do you kno this crew/company? im a little worried going to another contry just based on someones word although jason the guy i talked to seemed to be a cool guy.

Martin

yes I know him very well we worked side by side for years and I ended up as a supervisor for AFO for the last 2 years I worked there. He is a good guy but I would say it would be impossible for him to garantee a job without watching someone work. But he is very honest and will tell you what he can and cannot do. They have alot of work coming as does the rest of the coast here and I know he's been looking abroad for good climbers. Good luck again - Martin

066logger

oh and yea i didnt mean to say that i would have the job if he called me. just that i would have the opportunity to go and see if i had what it takes for the job. heck for all he knows im a little schoolgirl thats scared of hights lol.

Josh Wrigley

Hi Martin,

Would you be available to discuss the helipads you constructed? I do similar work and I think it would be great if I could get a different perspective on them.

If this is ok with you would it be ok to PM you?

Regards,

Josh

Martin

you bet Josh

Josh Wrigley

That's fantastic Martin,

I'll be in touch soon, as soon as I can work out how to PM.

Cheers,

Josh

Apocalypsse

Need 10 posts to be able to start using PMs.

Have you got any pictures of the helipads you build?

Josh Wrigley

Thanks for that!

We don't usually build the pads, more of just a case of finding the flattest point on a ridge. Hopefully this might change that.

Thanks again for the info.

Cheers,

Josh

mtbisgood

any heli logging in australia?

I guess it would be a hard job to fill in BC so is there anyone that knows of companys hiring international climbers for the odd season? Much involved in getting a canadian work Visa!!! its only canada afterall