A remote-controlled helicopter will launch into a new phase of forestry management. Source: The Canberra Times
Yamaha Sky Division has imported the $120,000 RMAX, an unmanned aerial helicopter, to join a fast growing fleet of similar vehicles across Australia engaged in aerial photography, power pole inspections and agricultural applications.
The RMAX has been buzzing over orange cones on Tony Bopping’s property Yasmar’ where his son Lawson cuts loose with motor bikes which he races professionally in Australia and overseas.
Father and son are learning to operate the RMAX before leasing it for weed spraying over plantation pines and steep terrain in southern NSW and Victoria.
Unlike motorbikes, there’ll be no cutting loose with this two-stroke, 250cc remote-controlled helicopter.
Under Civil Aviation Authority regulations they and fellow trainee Tom Copinger will be restricted to a height of 121 metres, and in most cases the UAV will be working just a few metres above the ground, spraying chemicals from 16-litre tanks.
Yamaha instructor Philip Chadd said the trainees had a week in the classroom covering aviation theory and air regulations followed by two weeks in the field for practical lessons.
Mr Bopping’s background is in rural forestry and contract harvesting.
“After a plantation is logged and there are weeds coming up we will be spraying,” said Mr Bopping.
“Because all the stumps that remain, it is hard to get a tractor through, so we can fly the RMAX around the stumps. It will be much easier.”
It was the thought of spraying in difficult terrain that attracted his interest.
“I’m not out to compete with ground spraying; it’s only in steep terrain,” he said.
“Some people have to abseil down dam walls with spray packs on their back to get to weeds. This is where the RMAX can be handy.”
The two-stroke engine sounds like a motorbike and sprays about 8000 square metres in six minutes.
As the blades rotate they turn over grass and leaves on the ground so spraying is more efficient and, the machine can be tightly controlled to avoid wastage or drift.
Models are also used for infrared sensing to assess the health of plants, water leaks in a sprinkler system, or to get over boggy ground.
People refer to UAVs as drones but that’s a military term and these are better known as unmanned aviation vehicles, or UAVs.
