Aerial Fert in Clashindarroch Helicopter G-AWFY
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’. 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.
The men from the Bin Forest area from the right Jimmy Christie, and Ted Skeard with possibly foreman Roy Neish at the back (or Johnny White) are taking bags from the stack of phosphate rich fertiliser and pouring into the helicopter bucket. 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 address on the side of the bucket reads – Stewartry Farm Chemicals, Castle Douglas.
Download Large Version (345kB)
Groups: Aircraft in Forestry Work, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, George Dey Forestry Collection, Groups of people, Northeast Scotland