This is a Bell 214B Helicopter, owned by Transwest based out of Chilliwack. It's in the Bulkley Valley to do a heli-logging contract for West Fraser's Pacific Inland Resources (PIR). This particular contract is removing pine/spruce beetle wood. It is important to get the wood out before June 15 when the flying cycle of the pine beetle begins and they move to new and healthy trees.

I had the great fortune to hop a ride up to the logging show with Kirk Elliot, the engineer responsible for the maintenance of the machine. His "20-odd" years of experience provided me with a wealth of information, around helicopters, their use in heli-logging, the lifestyle and the industry in general.

"When I started, you could become a helicopter mechanic just by walking off the street and showing interest." he told me. Now, helicopter engineers have at a minimum, highschool graduation, training and apprenticeship. Its a serious job that requires solid knowledge and experience. There is no room for failure.

Heli-logging operations have been on the increase due to the ongoing issues around the environment and access management. The beauty of heli-logging is that it allows forestry to be carried out in areas where otherwise none could occur. Sometimes, it may be possible to push a road through, but this increases the pressure on the wildlife population and damage to the environment. Although considered costly, the long-term payoff makes heli-logging worth it. In addition, a helicopter can move more wood in a given day than a regular ground operation.

Every minute or so, the helicopter flys to the area being logged, where a ground crew has felled and limbed trees. Heavy chokers are wrapped around the trees in preparation for hook-up. The ground crew becomes adept at judging the weight of the load and knowing how many logs the helicopter can carry.