What it's like to fly a helicopter equipped with a massive dangling chainsaw

Maybe you've seen the video that's gone viral on Twitter of a helicopter trimming the trees in a forest by dangling a massive chainsaw that's composed of ten spinning blades?

If not, maybe take a minute to check it out; it is probably impossible to be disappointed by that minute of your life.

Anyway, helicopter chainsaw-ing has been going on for some years; it's often used to efficiently trim greenery that's growing too close to power lines. Popular Mechanics hunted down a company that offers it as a service and got the 411 on what it's like to pilot one of these dread mechanisms:

The 2-foot diameter blades turn at 4,000 rpm and are powered by a 28-horsepower engine controlled by the pilot, according to T&D World. It's challenging work, but plenty of additional safety measures are in place. If a saw catches on a branch, for instance, the pilot can release the entire saw and fly off.

As you'd expect, it takes a lot of training to wield this wily air saw. The more than 30 Aerial Solutions pilots who conduct this work must have over 1,000 flying hours, and a dedicated crew of mechanics is tasked with maintaining the choppers. "One of the things that we focus on-and this was part of William Cox and the Rogers Family's agreement-is to make sure that we have a safe operation," Aerial Solutions Inc.'s general manager Ted McAllister tells Popular Mechanics.

The air saw is best used in inaccessible mountainous regions and in tight spots, such as between a pipeline or power lines and the surrounding forest. Aerial Solutions dispatches a crew of two people-the pilot and a ground crewman-and argues that this method is a safer alternative to sending out hand crews who may spend days or weeks hoisted in buckets or hanging from branches.

Sharks with frickin' laser beams :: helicopters with chainsaws.