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Environmental Assessment & Monitoring

Along with cities, towns and industry, Maine has some of the wildest and remote landscapes outside of Alaska. Point of View Helicopter Services excels in aerial monitoring and assessment throughout Maine. Our chief pilot’s extensive environmental science background brings added expertise and value to each flight. The helicopter can be used for water testing of remote lakes, deployment and retrieval of remote sampling devices as well as municipal codes monitoring and enforcement. We also check on and document industrial air and water dischargers, monitor clearcutting, shoreland zoning violations and gravel pits. These are just some of the ways Point of View Helicopters in mid-coast Maine can help you assess and monitor a wide variety of conditions on land or in the water.

Over the years we have regularly monitored and assessed remote conservation easements, and inspected various streams to ensure migratory fish passage was still possible after blowdowns. We have documented flooding extent and damage, sampled waters and sediment for dissolved oxygen, bacteria and PFAS chemicals. Point of View Helicopters has assessed and monitored dam removals, effects of reservoir drawdowns on aquatic life, shoreline erosion from climate change, bridge construction and dam repair. We inspect and document fishway construction, archaeological sites and circulation patterns in complex water bodies. Regularly we monitor and assess bald eagle and great blue heron reproductive status and success and after storms, conduct lighthouse inspections.

We have a long history of working cooperatively with state and federal agencies and various non-governmental organizations including land trusts. Photographers and film makers, construction companies, owners of infrastructure and of course individuals are also satisfied customers. Call us to ask about your project!

Testimonials

"As a wildlife biologist and photo interpreter of 27 years, I, find it very efficient to use a helicopter in groundtruthing emergent aquatic vegetation as well as any other vegetation that has been interpreted on aerial photography. Ed Friedman, pilot for Point of View Helicopter Services, saved me considerable time with vegetation identification on Merrymeeting Bay."

Lyman Feero, James W. Sewall Company, Old Town, ME

“On our return flight we flew over the Great Sidney Bog, a six hundred acre raised bog created by the last ice-age. I took many photos of the Sidney Bog from the little "Bee".

It was then that I realized what a great platform the helicopter was for taking photos. The helicopter provides an opportunity to hover over any spot and be able to study an environmental problem or inspect bird nesting and wildlife areas.

Because of the photos that I took of the Sidney bog from Ed's helicopter, the Augusta City Council purchased one hundred acres of the bog to add to the hundred acres they already owned. Thanks to Point of View Helicopter Service and Ed's flying skills, the City of Augusta now owns two-hundred acres of the six hundred acre bog that has been set aside to be protected forever from peat mining and other encroachment by man.

I would recommend Ed Friedman's Point of View Helicopter Service for any environmental study or monitoring project.”

Dave Gomeau, Master Arborist, Augusta, ME

"Point of View Helicopter Services’ Schweizer 300C helicopter on amphibious floats provided incredible versatility and flexibility in accessing our PFAS sample sites, on the Androscoggin and Kennebec Rivers and in Merrymeeting Bay, whether wetlands or open water. This allowed us to achieve sample coverage of a huge geographic area from mid-coastal Maine in a remarkably short time - something that would have been impossible with traditional sampling methods.

Ed's local knowledge was critical to our mission success and efficiency. He knew exactly where to go and how to position the helicopter for optimal sampling conditions, which made our PFAS sediment and water testing work much more effective."

Christoph Aeppli, Senior Research Scientist & Marine Chemist. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine