The article mentioned that smaller helicopters can't do the job because they don't move enough air. It likely has to be done from above because there just isn'

The article mentioned that smaller helicopters can't do the job because they don't move enough air. It likely has to be done from above because there just isn't enough ground clearance to do it from below. The capital costs to get ground-supported fans above the trees and the maintenance costs of operating them are likely much higher than just buying your own helicopter and training as a RW pilot. Given that, the farmer might as well rent the helicopter and RW pilot. I imagine a 10m fan mounted in a moving carriage, on a serpentine track supported by tall poles, and powered by electrified rails in the track. Then you'd need a shed for the working fan, the backup fan, and the repair parts, plus the generator and fuel storage. It would cost less than the helicopter to operate, but the capital costs seem like they'd be much higher, especially since every orchard block would essentially be a custom job, and helicopters can be factory-built. Maybe you could do double duty by also having a sprayer carriage that can use the same track?