The three helicopers operating from Norwood Airport last year were completely overhauled during the winter. The oldest machine was sold and two brand new Bell helicopters were acquired. This addition to the fleet was necessary to take care of the growing demand for aerial application of insecticides and patrol work for public utilities. The following statistics give an interesting picture of these activities.
Throughout New England about 4,000 acres of apple orchards were treated for disease and insect control in the spring when the ground was wet. Hormone spraying was also done to keep apples from dropping off the trees during the picking season.
About 9,000 acres of Cranberry bogs were treated with almost 500,000 pounds of insecticide. There are very few cranberry bogs in Massachusetts which do not make use of this aerial spraying service.
Over 30,000 acres of land were sprayed in town and county mosquito districts. in September, during the Sleeping Sickness emergency, about 5,000 acres in Norfolk County alone were sprayed in a period or one week.
About 2,500 miles of major Massachusetts double lane highways were sprayed in the spring and late summer for insect control on the foliage along the highways.
Utility companies are constantly making more use of aerial patrol service. Over 6,000 miles of power lines were patrolled to find hidden damage. Patrolling by air replaces the long and costly ground patrols—in the Cape Cod area the patrol of the transmission system was performed in 6 hours by helicopter where normally four men would require more than two weeks for the same work.
May Need 5th Machine
In addition to pest control and patrol work the helicopter fleet has engaged, when time has permitted, in miscellaneous services such as aerial photography, research and development projects and student instruction. Next year may see the need to acquire a fifth machine to keep up with the demand for helicopter services.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)
