Aerial Fertilising Clashindarroch
The photograph is courtesy of the family of George Dey. George took many photographs in his forestry career and some are now shown on this web site. Check under ‘Groups’ and George Dey Collection.
George notes in his diary that he visited Clashindarroch to view the aerial spreading operation but the helicopter was ‘down’ - assume he meant ‘broken down’. This is obviously the Forestry team from the Huntly area and they are enjoying the fine day and respite from the noise and dust. The 25kg bags of fertiliser had to be slit by hand and 30 bags poured into the helicopter bucket filled before the helicopter returned to drop the last one filled and picked up the newly filled one. If the spreading area was close by the turn around time was less than a couple of minutes but this extended a bit as the ground was covered. Never the less, when the helicopter was flying it was hard constant cutting, lifting and pouring for up to two hours at a time until the next refuelling stop.
In the attached PDF the stack of phosphate rich fertiliser and helicopter buckets can be seen. The buckets have a motor on the side which drives an internal spinner and an electric cable to the helicopter operates this to allow the fertiliser to spin out.
The men from the Bin Forest area from the left Jimmy Christie, Johnnie White, Ted Skeard and foreman Roy Neish. Roy does not recall the fertiliser being put through a mesh grid to remove larger stones and objects which could damage the hopper spinners and also the human flag markers!
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Groups: Aircraft in Forestry Work, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, George Dey Forestry Collection, Groups of people, Northeast Scotland