Linemen working while dangling from a helicopter - GIF

[Jon]

Linemen working while dangling from a helicopter.



Previously:

Cutting a high-voltage power line - video
Trimming trees around power lines GIF
Flamethrowing drone for clearing electric wires - GIF
wYerBox for storing and pulling electrical wire spools

[Frank S]

That is one of those jobs where I don't care how much they are getting paid it is probably not enough. I didn't mine hanging out the door of a chopper with a machine gun and could handle being lowered by cable to the ground and back again. But the idea of dangling from the rope while the stick jockey has to try and hold his whillybird dead steady near very high voltage power lines while he has to make sure he doesn't get me a mate and the rest of the crew killed woud be more than I would be willing to do and I used to think that I wasn't worried about doing anything.

[Frank S]

I do a fair bit of work with electricity as well but only after it is a more manageable 480V or less. Don't particularly like the kind that reaches out to touch me from distances. As far as the off the ground stuff that used to never bother me. now that I'm a few years older I'm not so sure.

[mklotz]

One would think they would install the spreaders when they erect the line. Perhaps the spreaders deteriorate with time. Or maybe the vultures steal them.

There have been places here in California where they have had to erect bird perches above the cross arms on the poles. Seems the condors have a wingspan large enough to bridge between the wires on the extremities of the cross arm. I'll forgive whoever designed the utility poles. Would you think to consider bird wingspans when designing power distribution systems?

[Ralphxyz]

I do hope those lines are dead.

Ralph

[Paul Jones]

The high voltage lines are always energized while the repair work goes on, otherwise the electric grid would black-out large parts of residential and commercial customers. Proper grounding of the helicopter and workmen is the reason they are not electrocuted. Also they use high pressure deionized water to clean the high voltage lines (some more than 220,000 volts).

[Frank S]

Ralph lines like those are never dead

[Jon]

[PJs]

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That is some good pilot stuff!!

[Jon]

Electrical lineman transfers into a waiting helicopter.