Forestry Memories

Aerial Fertilising with Hiller Helicopter G-BBLF

Photograph taken by Don MacCaskill and image courtesy of Bridget MacCaskill, Strathyre. Don was based as Head Forester at Inverinan from about 1960 through to about 1968 before transferring initially to Allean Forest and then Strathyre Forest in1972.

This is a third version of the helicopter fertilising system as the whole operation began to be mechanised over time. The under slung buckets were a major improvement in time management and were hand loaded initially but here an elevator has been brought in to load the hopper. It is likely also at this time that the loaders were directly employed or on contract to the spreading company. It appears as thought the appropriate weight of riddled fertiliser is stored in the elevator hopper at the far end and the helicopter bucket is just lowered to a point beside it and immediately filled by opening a large gate valve.

Management Aviation was the name of a one firm that did a season or two of fertilising from 1969 with a Hiller Helicopter but the name of this firm is difficult to make out but seems to read ‘???? Helicopters’ on the tail boom board. The registration No G-BBLF was a Former Canadian Forces machine which was sold to UK in Sep 1973 and re-numbered as above. It was reported as destroyed in Jan 1976.

This could be in a Strathyre Forest location - can anyone name the location?

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Groups: Aircraft in Forestry Work, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Groups of people, Other Vehicles and Machines

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