Planning a Remote Heli-Falling Project

Updated: September 13, 2026

Helicopter-supported falling is a project method to review when a block is remote, steep, or difficult to reach with conventional ground equipment. It is not a shortcut around planning: flight operations, falling methods, hazards, access, timber handling, weather, permits, and site controls all need to fit together.

Start with the access problem

Describe why ground access is limited and what the site requires. Useful notes include slope, muskeg or wet ground, road or trail access, stream crossings, seasonal restrictions, nearby infrastructure, and whether crews can reach the work area on foot. A map with coordinates, block boundaries, and existing access routes is more useful than a project name alone.

Build a complete scope

• Work area. Share the approximate hectares, block or corridor length, boundaries, and any phases that may be bid separately.
• Timber objectives. Note whether the work is selective falling, right-of-way or site clearing, hazard reduction, salvage, or a broader harvest scope. Include known stand type, size, density, and merchantability information when available.
• Terrain and hazards. Flag steep ground, unstable trees, snags, rock, water, avalanche exposure, energized infrastructure, public access, and other known hazards without assuming a remote site is uniform.
• Material handling. Explain whether stems are to be felled in place, flown, decked, hauled, chipped, piled, or otherwise managed to a written standard. Disposal and salvage requirements can change the method and support plan.

Plan the aviation and support interfaces

A heli-falling scope has interfaces beyond the falling crew. The bid package should identify who is responsible for aviation coordination, flight planning, landing or loading zones, fuel and support logistics, communications, weather decisions, traffic control, and daily reporting. Requirements depend on the aircraft, site, work method, client standard, and applicable rules; confirm them with the responsible aviation and safety professionals.

Compare methods on the whole job

Compare helicopter-supported work with conventional ground access using the full project picture: road or trail preparation, equipment mobilization, flight time, support crew, timber handling, environmental or seasonal windows, weather downtime, restoration, and demobilization. Heli-falling may solve an access problem, but it is not automatically the quickest or lowest-cost option.

What to send with a quote request

The strongest first package usually includes a map or coordinates, approximate scale, desired timing, access constraints, known hazards, timber or clearing objective, material-handling requirements, applicable client standards, and the right project contact. If some information is not known yet, say so. A clear unknown is more useful than a precise assumption.

Wild Timber provides heli falling and heli logging support for remote work where the method is a fit. For coordinated planning across several work fronts, see falling management and supervision and danger-tree assessment.