CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP)-- Residents in several western Massachusetts communities will see helicopters flying overhead as Eversource begins tree-trimming operations. Eversource will be using a low-flying helicopter to trim tree limbs from the sides of power lines in Becket, Blandford, Granville, L ee, Otis, Russell, Southwick starting Wednesday, March 26 through Saturday, April 5 between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m, weather permitting. Traffic pattern changes across Pomeroy Meadow Road bridge in Southampton The helicopter will be orange with a white stripe – tail #N500NC. The effort is to reduce the possibility of trees and limbs from hitting the powerlines which can cause power outages and increase the risk of fires. The helicopters are specially equipped with rotating blades to allow for overhead trimming. This type of operation can reduce the time involved for traditional climbing crews working manually and lowers the risk of injury to those workers. Additionally, by not using heavy equipment on the ground, the natural habitat of many native plants and wildlife found in the right of way is undisturbed. Local News Headlines What to know ahead of St. Patrick’s Parade Weekend in Holyoke? Warm weather sparks garden planning as spring arrives March Madness betting in Massachusetts Economic impact of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade weekend WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. ...read more read less