Scandair can drop some 30 slings per hour of lime on Scandinavia’s lakes as part of the region’s environmental upkeep. Sweden L i m e d r o p p i n g i n S c a n d i n a v i a In this scenic landscape, a niche industry is making inroads in environmental conservation with material distribution. Scandair is one of the companies pioneering this activity with helicopters. Article: Heather Couthaud. Photos: Scandair MISSION read more read more Marius Johansen, Executive Director of Scandair, explains the inspiration behind his company’s modified truck, used for spraying lime on lakes. “We asked what was the most essential thing we had and that’s the helicopter, so it was important it didn’t have to wait to get material. We manufacture things that are so good it doesn’t matter how fast operations go, there should always be a new bucket of material available.” They have to be efficient to drop some 30 slings per hour of lime on Scandinavia’s lakes as part of the region’s environmental upkeep. Material distribution, as it’s called, helps offset factors like a too-low pH value in lakes that have been polluted by acid rain. In 2010, with a sole H125, Scandair got its start contracting with a lime producer working for the Swedish government to spray lime on lakes. They gradually took on contracts for private- and government-owned forest holders, dropping fertiliser and wood ash on forests. This year, they will carry out approximately 60,000 sling loads with their three (soon to be four) H125 helicopters. With a sling and a bucket… The lime is driven out to the site in big bags before the helicopter arrives. When Scandair’s team of a pilot and two ground crew gets there, their crane driver fills a silo on their customised truck with around six tonnes of lime. From that, a screw fills two drop buckets equipped with a hook for the H125’s sling. “When you have sprayed, you can just fly back, make the exchange with a full bucket, and go,” says Johansen. They carry out lime drops year round, flying above the surface and spraying a radius of 10 metres at a time. “Our customers measure the acidity of lakes around five times a year to keep track,” says Johansen. “With some, they want us to put the lime on top of the ice so when it melts it mixes with the polluted snow on the lake. Most customers want it done in the summer so it can mix directly.” They also drop clean wood ash on young forests as part of the region’s policy of putting back in the soil the nutrients taken away by logging. This work must be done in the growing season, so Scandair’s forest work usually starts up in May when the snow has melted and continues until August. A hard working fleet Scandair manufactures its own equipment, including a GPS-controlled bucket system. This means the pilot at the controls of the H125 simply focuses on flying a slow 50 knots while the GPS automatically signals the bucket when to make a drop and how much, depending on speed. At an average of 700 flight hours per helicopter per year, the fleet is one of the hardest working in the area, considering the company also helps out with fire fighting when there’s a need. “We have ordered 16 new helicopters in 10 years,” says Johansen. “We have a high cycle consumption, so it gets expensive if we keep them for too long.” The volume of work for Scandair’s seven pilots hasn’t diminished with the pandemic. And as long as the environment needs a boost, this niche industry may become mainstream. Article: Heather Couthaud. Sweden Lime dropping in Scandinavia