Sep 15, 2025 - News

"Aerial saws" are coming to Cleveland skies

Sam Allard

Yellow and white helicopter lifting a person high near electrical power lines on a sunny day with blue sky and trees below. — The aerial saw in action. Photo: Courtesy of FirstEnergy

Don't be alarmed if you spot a low-flying helicopter dragging what looks like a giant chainsaw through Northeast Ohio skies this fall. It's part of FirstEnergy's latest tree-trimming effort.

Why it matters: Keeping vegetation clear reduces the risk of tree-related outages during storms and makes repairs faster when the lights do go out.

Zoom in: The utility began deploying a helicopter-mounted "aerial saw" last week to slice away branches threatening high-voltage power lines in Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties.

The 24-blade contraption can shear limbs up to 10 inches thick, covering more ground in a day than a crew with ladders and chainsaws.
Ground crews move limbs that have fallen onto roads and yards, and alert motorists if the aerial saw is active nearby.

Also: The tree-trimming work supports FirstEnergy's $28 billion Energize365 grid modernization initiative.

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"Aerial saws" are coming to Cleveland skies

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