Helicopter to deal with ice bombs

[malabo]

Helicopter to prevent snow, ice bombs falling on vehicles from bridge cables - NEWS 1130 (http://www.news1130.com/2016/12/16/helicopter-prevent-snow-ice-bombs-falling-vehicles-bridge-cables/)

Anybody know who the operator is and what "heavy" helicopter type will be used? Never expected that past experience blowing cherries might look good on a resume.

[Longdog]

So, ice bombs form from wet snow freezing to bridge structure and cables, and then fall onto cars below, how is a helicopter going to fly in a wet snow storm and not collect ice itself, unless it has deicing capabilities, sounds very expensive or very illegal to me. Our tax dollars at work I guess. :sad:

[dammyneckhurts]

My understanding is that they are hoping to use the helicopter downwash to knock down ice after the snowstorm has passed. I assume the bridge will be closed while this is happening.

A few years ago, on the new Port Mann bridge in Vancouver they installed a system of rings that slid up and down the cables to knock the ice off. Looks like they are planning to install a similar system on the Alex Fraser and the Heli is the temporary solution.