Promote your company to the global vertical aviation industry through the VAI Member Spotlight, a free benefit for VAI member companies. Want to be featured? If you’re not already enjoying the many benefits our members receive, join VAI today! VAI Member Spotlight: Clark Industries Aviation Implements, Oregon, USA The maker of the Aerial Grapple Saw enables utility, firefighting, and other operators to remove trees and branches from hard-to-reach areas. By Jen Boyer Based in southern Oregon, Clark Industries Aviation Implements manufactures the Aerial Grapple Saw, designed to solve the age-old problem of clearing vegetation from hard-to-access areas with minimal environmental impact. The company, founded in 2022, designed the device in response to a shrinking supply of ground-based vegetation management professionals. Utilities and other companies sought alternative methods to keep vegetation under control and stay in compliance with regulatory agencies. According to Clark Industries Aviation Implements, the saw is in use with electric utility, gas pipeline, disaster relief, firefighting, and wildlife mitigation operators around the world. The saw was designed to safely, accurately, and efficiently cut or trim coniferous and deciduous tree species from above using a helicopter. It features an endless, 360-degree rotation capability and a 90-degree tilt function, allowing the operator to cut any tree or branch regardless of its growth characteristics. Operating the Saw The Aerial Grapple Saw connects to the helicopter hook using specialized, adjustable-length rigging. The saw features an electric motor that’s controlled by the pilot and connected just above a grapple and protected chainsaw blade. The motor maneuvers the grapple to hold the tree or branch, then the saw rotates out of its housing to make a clean cut across and back before returning to its housing safe from debris. The removed vegetation stays in the grapple until the aircraft moves to a safe location to release it. In the case of an emergency, the operator can quickly jettison the entire saw from the aircraft. Since its inception, the saw has helped operators safely remove more than 400,000 trees. Helicopter Types The saw is custom built for use with the Bell UH-1, Bell 407, Airbus AS350, Kaman K-Max, and Sikorsky UH-60, in addition to other helicopters. Its controls include a universal mounting system ergonomically designed for pilot comfort. Clark Industries Aviation Implements offers training for operators and provides parts, service, and customer support for the saw. The company’s Instagram page features numerous videos showing the saw in action. Jen Boyer is a journalist and marketing communicator specializing in aviation. She holds commercial, instrument, flight instructor, and instrument instructor ratings in helicopters and a private rating in airplanes.
