Super Puma helicopter Heliswiss International tree removal along a railway line

The team of Heliswiss International includes experienced climbers and lumberjacks for this demanding work. The helicopter used is the powerful Aérospatiale - now Airbus Helicopters - AS332 C1 Super Puma with a lifting capacity of up to 4,5 tons. From the cockpit to the climber on the tree - real professionals at work. It's a special forestry mission, not uncommon used to remove trees whenever they suppose a hazard to roads, powerlines, railways or buildings. The trees are attached to the longline of the hovering helicopter before the trunk is cut through and then flown out. A major advantage of this method is that roads or railway lines only have to be closed for minutes instead of hours or days. In this particular case, the trees were flown out on a slope along a railway line of the Swiss Federal Railways SBB in Andelfingen. Large trees can be removed in several pieces.