Fixing Power Lines Using A Helicopter

Been stuff like that on Discovery on some crazy jobs show. Dropping a guy off on top of high transmission towers. Apparently its more common that everyone thinks..
 
My brother's training to do it. Very useful when you're in the middle of nowhere with no roads in or out. The arcs between the helicopter and the wires are CRAZY
 
I thought the helicopters are actually safer when dealing with ridiculously high voltages.
 
Actually that's the safest way to insert the line spreaders without immediate shock death of painness.

The larger power lines generate so much magnetic field (perpendicular to the electricity) that they attract each other, thus spreaders are needed to keep them apart. You can't just put a scaffold up as you'll be grounding the electrical potential the second you touch it. Since a helicopter doesn't touch ground, there is little fear of grounding the electrical current.
 
Saw this in person a few years ago in Colorado I believe while driving along the highway. I was like, "What the heck?" Then I was like, "Actually that makes a lot of sense."
 
That may be the safest way to perform this operation, but it still takes brass balls and nerves of steel to do it.
 
Happens world wide this kind of thing working on high voltage pylons, not just America, oddly enough.
 
Yeah, I have seen a few things about this on TV. It's quite ballsy even though its technically safer. Besides the loons doing the work you gotta give much credit to the pilots of the helicopters.

Not a job to be doing with a hangover, that's for sure.
 
This is nothing new. You should see them set the transmission line towers in place with a helicopter! I design high voltage substations and I can testify to some very freaky things that happen when you walk into a substation.
 
epimetheus said:
This is nothing new. You should see them set the transmission line towers in place with a helicopter! I design high voltage substations and I can testify to some very freaky things that happen when you walk into a substation.
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do tell :)
 
They used to do this up in Prudhoe Bay as well back in the late 70's early 80's, at least that is what my dad says.
 
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