Business Rural North Winter 2021

54 | Slash grabber a new tool for forest owners to remove debris RURAL SERVICES » Wairarapa Helicopters • from page 53 The grapple works best clearing slash which is fresh – in the first few months after harvest. Wairarapa Helicopters simply flies in and removes the debris with no need to land or put a person on the ground. Tim says it’s a new ‘tool’ in the toolbox for forest owners and farmers to use for improved residue management and moving forward it is definitely part of the solution for high-risk environmental areas, such as steep terrain waterways. One year into using the slash grapple Tim says that it’s proved a winner with both farming and forestry clients. It’s just an example of the innovative thinking that Wairarapa Helicopters has been established on. The company was started by Tim in 2001. He boasts vast expertise and understanding of farm- ers’ needs having grown up on a farm and now operating a 160ha farm east of Masterton where he runs hoggets, beef cattle steers and bulls. He also had a previous career as a professional shooter for wild deer, pigs and goats working in New Zealand and offshore in countries such as Chile, Argentina and South Africa. “At Wairarapa Helicopters we understand farm- ers’ needs. When they have a job to be done it needs to be done,” he says. Wairarapa Helicopters suite of services includes aerial spraying, land clearing and top dressing. It has all the equipment and expertise to offer aerial spraying services for a large variety of situations including crop, horticulture, forestry, vegeta- tion control, waterways, spot spraying and liquid fertiliser. Top dressing services include fertiliser (bulk or bagged), oversowing, forestry and logging. With regards to land clearing Wairarapa Helicopters comes in after the roller crushing has been done and sprays, burns then seeds and ap- plies fertiliser to put the land back into pasture as quickly as possible. The latest technology is employed to get the best result including TracMap, which helps improve efficiency and productivity. The system can plan, map and capture activity such as nutrient applica- tion for more accuracy in spreading fertiliser. The TracMap system is installed on the helicopter and also helps prove compliance and environmental best practice as well as ensure that farmers are getting the most out of their resources. Wairarapa Helicopters operates from a head- quarters on Tim’s farm and boasts a team of highly qualified pilots with agricultural rating certification. In fact Wairarapa Helicopters also trains pilots as a service for other businesses demonstrating the company’s expertise in this area. Wairarapa Helicopters is backed by a strong ad- ministration team taking care of all the paperwork and ensuring jobs flow smoothly and farmers can rest assured. The fleet includes a Squirrel, Hughes 300 and Hughes 500 along with trucks, loading systems and fuel tankers. “Wairarapa Helicopters really does have the experience, equipment and know-how to carry out all of our customers’ agricultural, lifting, spraying and forestry projects. We invite people in the lower North Island to discover our world-class helicopter services delivered right here from the Wairarapa.” Firefighting is a vital service supplied by Wairarapa Helicopters.