# Helicopter: What is it doing? (pic) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050 "2011-09-03T12:43:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/1 "2011-09-03T12:43:10Z")
Woken this morning to an[orange helicopter flying around fairly low](http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv174/kayaker01/helo.jpg) (over the trees) dragging a cable of some sort. Rural area. Anyone know what it could be up to? ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/2 "2011-09-03T12:47:45Z")
Looks like a bunch of kids holding a big stick with a picture of a helicopter on the top just to mess with your head. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/3 "2011-09-03T12:49:58Z")
Then they are very loud kids.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/4 "2011-09-03T13:07:21Z")
They’ll use a chainsaw suspended beneath a helicopter to keep the wire routes clear. Take a [look](http://rotorheadforums.com/index.php?topic=46.0). Sorry about the music, I recommend turning the volume way down to watch the video. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/5 "2011-09-03T13:07:54Z")
Could they be applying herbicide to power-lines? My gf hiked up a hill to get a better look and saw a canister at the end of the cable. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/6 "2011-09-03T13:08:14Z")
Airlifting a piece of equipment? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/7 "2011-09-03T13:14:15Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > Airlifting a piece of equipment? I don’t think so. It has been flying around with just the cable (and my gf saw a canister of some type on the end). Plus it is a sorta small copter. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/8 "2011-09-03T13:20:53Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > They’ll use a chainsaw suspended beneath a helicopter to keep the wire routes clear. Take a [look](http://rotorheadforums.com/index.php?topic=46.0). Sorry about the music, I recommend turning the volume way down to watch the video. BINGO!!! That’s what it is! Gracias. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/9 "2011-09-03T13:30:23Z")
:eek: “Sorry, did I hit your house, my bad” ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/10 "2011-09-03T16:50:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Then they are very loud kids.😃 Is there any other kind? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/11 "2011-09-05T13:14:29Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > :eek: > > “Sorry, did I hit your house, my bad” I was wondering about hikers/campers/hunters/etc. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/12 "2011-09-05T13:18:45Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I was wondering about hikers/campers/hunters/etc. Uh… erm… Mauled by bears. Yeah, that’s it. Definitely bears. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/helicopter-what-is-it-doing-pic/595050/13 "2011-09-05T13:49:25Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I was wondering about hikers/campers/hunters/etc. I have to assume they have some spotters running around (or on ATVs), say a few hundred feet in each direction, in radio contact with the helicopter keeping people clear of it. Even if not for the blades, just the fact that the branches that thing cuts are huge and would most likely kill someone if it hit them.