Helicopter tree-trimming efforts provide a critical ‘ounce of prevention’
April 2026
Helicopter tree trimming is part of your electric co-op’s ongoing effort to prevent power outages by maintaining clear rights-of-way around power lines. (courtesy SVEC)
by Jeff Caldwell, Staff Writer
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” — Benjamin Franklin
When Benjamin Franklin shared this now-famous saying with members of his 18th-century Philadelphia community, he was speaking about the importance of fire prevention. But Franklin’s concern for community didn’t go out of style with powdered wigs.
For cooperatives, Concern for Community remains one of the core principles that guide our work every day.
In 21st-century rural communities, that principle sometimes arrives with a distinctly modern sound: the thwop-thwop-thwop of helicopters overhead. Each spring and summer, you may spot a helicopter flying above rural power lines, carrying a set of spinning saw blades suspended from a long cable.
Helicopter tree trimming is part of your electric co-op’s ongoing effort to prevent power outages by maintaining clear rights-of-way around power lines. By proactively trimming vegetation, co-ops reduce the risk of outages caused by falling trees, and they help members avoid inconvenience. These efforts also prevent members from having to share the high costs associated with emergency power line repairs.
Helicopter trimming and other vegetation management practices are just a few of the ways Virginia, Maryland and Delaware’s 16 electric cooperatives work year-round to ensure reliable electric service for nearly 2 million residents, farms and businesses across the region.
While flying tree saws may not have been among Franklin’s many inventions, there’s little doubt he would appreciate the cooperative commitment to prevention over repair. The only lingering question: If offered the copilot’s seat, would Ben Franklin have taken it?