47 Inventions That Sounded Bonkers at First But Turned Out to Be a Huge Success

Trimming trees with 10 circular saws attached to a metal bar, dangling from a helicopter, sounds like a scene from an action movie, yet it’s a real technique that revolutionized vegetation management for utilities. Gone are the days of arduous climbing and handheld trimming in tough terrains.

Since the 1980s, this aerial saw, swinging beneath choppers, has been carving out clearances for power lines in the most inaccessible areas. It’s a dance of precision and power above the treeline, a method born from necessity and innovation that brought a patent idea to the forefront of utility maintenance. Who’dda thunk?