Do Tree Planters get to Fly?

The answer to that question is yes. Just a few days ago I got on my first helicopter and have now flown about 5 or 6 times, the experience was great. There were a few safety measures we had to take before getting to the ride. Before we got on the copper we had to assign people to load the shovel under the seats, another to load the gear in the back compartment and that person would be riding shotgun. The chopper seats five people plus the pilot. The area, which the chopper was landing, was a gravel pit so every time he hovered you had to put your arms over you eyes so that you didn’t get rocks in your eyes. Some of the blocks we can’t take trucks in because either the roads are inaccessible or really grown over. So they call them Fly in Blocks. Preparation/Cleanup for these fly in blocks take up a couple hours of our day because everything has to be lifted in and out with nets. The Chopper picks up the trees, Quads, with the nets, drops down to the drop off spot and release the nets with a click of a button. When getting into the chopper there are seat belts that go over your shoulders and a pair of head sets for everyone. These headsets are pretty cool because you can talk to everyone in the chopper as you are flying to the block. The pilot says that the choppers cost about $120 per ever 6 minutes so the loading of the chopper has to be efficient. When getting in the chopper you almost feel important like a Navy Seal because of the air swirling around you and the well-organized entry into the chopper. When flying to the block the view is great. Flying over the trees, streams and watching the wild life is exhilarating. I have seen a lot of wild life up here like foxes, moose, bears/bear cubs and deer.--------------------I went to a water fall/trail three days ago and stream lined over the falls with a couple of guys; man, was that a lot of fun. They guy who set everything up actually walked the rope over the falls (hooked up to a harness) and I took pictures. You have to have great balance for something like that. Although I am a little crazy sometimes I didn’t try it because on a rope, over falls I don’t have good balance.