Black Hawk helicopter visit thrills Apanui School students

Apanui School students in Kāhu Helicopters’ Sikorsky UH60 Black Hawk. Photo / Troy Baker

• Heli-logging on Valley Rd concluded with Apanui School students visiting Kāhu Helicopter Services’ Black Hawk.
• The operation began January 20 to safely manage mature trees at risk of falling.
• The project is nearly complete, with final timber loads and minor traffic management expected soon.

As heli-logging work came to an end on the Whakatāne District Council forestry block on Valley Rd this week, Apanui School students got to celebrate with a visit by Kāhu Helicopter Services’ Black Hawk.

One of the Kāhu team has children at Apanui School and took the opportunity to give the students a close-up look at the helicopter and clamber around in the back before it headed out of town on its next mission.

Kāhu Helicopters' Black Hawk at work heli-logging on a steep Whakatāne District Council forestry block. Photo / Troy Baker

Logging work on the forestry block began on January 20. It was considered necessary as there was a risk that the trees, which had reached maturity, could fall on their own.

The work was expected to take about four weeks. However, in mid-February, the helicopter was employed to help with the last section of trees on a steep slope, as it was the safest way to manage the operation.

The sight and sound of the Black Hawk has become a regular feature above Whakatāne over the past month.

Council community experience general manager Alexandra Pickles said the logging part of the Valley Rd tree harvest was almost complete, with the last truckloads of timber scheduled to be loaded by the end of this week.

Apanui School students get an up-close view of Kāhu Helicopters’ Sikorsky UH60 Black Hawk. Photo / Troy Baker

Valley Rd has been open for the past week, except for a partial closure on Wednesday for the final helicopter work. Minor traffic management could be in place over the next two weeks, but road users would not need to detour.

Pickles said the total cost of the project would not be known until all expenses and revenue from log sales were finalised.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.