Helicopter Linesman

[Mr Rogers]

Did anyone happen to catch the documentary on the history channel about
using helicopters to check HV lines.

Fascinating stuff, very wild to see the heli some inches from a 300KV line
with a handler hanging out the side with a grounding line to the heli. At
some points you could see the arc jump to the ground line 2~3 feet.

As a couch pilot I thought the flying was unbelievable, particularly when
you watch the PIC maneuver the cyclic 15 degrees in all directions
constantly - he never stopped moving it. What surprised me is how stable the
platform was for the linesman hanging out the door with a wrench tightening
a bolt 150' in the air, it was as if he was on a ladder.

If you get a chance try and see the show.

[SHIVER ME TIMBERS]

> Mr Rogers > wrote:

> Did anyone happen to catch the documentary on the history channel about
> using helicopters to check HV lines.

Fascinating wasn't it.

[[email protected]]

The Imax folks did a show and DVD called "Straight Up" a year or two
ago, which has a sequence showing a WTFWHT fellow doing HV line work,
from a platform strapped to an MD500. Verrry impressive, or at least,
breathtaking. What some folks will do for a paycheck...

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same footage but the Straight Up
video is a keeper - I only wish I'd gotten the chance to see it on an
Imax screen..

Dave Blevins

P.S. "WTFWHT" stands for "What the Heck was he thinking?"


On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 13:19:38 -0500, "Mr Rogers" >
wrote:

>Did anyone happen to catch the documentary on the history channel about
>using helicopters to check HV lines.
>
>Fascinating stuff, very wild to see the heli some inches from a 300KV line
>with a handler hanging out the side with a grounding line to the heli. At
>some points you could see the arc jump to the ground line 2~3 feet.
>
>As a couch pilot I thought the flying was unbelievable, particularly when
>you watch the PIC maneuver the cyclic 15 degrees in all directions
>constantly - he never stopped moving it. What surprised me is how stable the
>platform was for the linesman hanging out the door with a wrench tightening
>a bolt 150' in the air, it was as if he was on a ladder.
>
>If you get a chance try and see the show.
>
>

[David Little]

Georgia Power had the great foresight to schedule this kind of line testing
during the 2004 G8 Summit held at Sea Island Georgia last year.

All the alphabet Soup guys that talked into their cuffs had a big time with
reports of low-flying rotor-craft in the area.

I watched them test the lines running in front of our house; next to US 17
South; about 8 miles from the causeway connecting the mainland to St. Simons
island; and ultimately Sea Island.

I finally found out it was a line leakage test from one of the crew,
overheard at a local resturant/coffee shop.


"Mr Rogers" > wrote in message
news:1120069164.f070788e17bbae60d8086a92fe361b17@t eranews...
> Did anyone happen to catch the documentary on the history channel about
> using helicopters to check HV lines.
>
> Fascinating stuff, very wild to see the heli some inches from a 300KV line
> with a handler hanging out the side with a grounding line to the heli. At
> some points you could see the arc jump to the ground line 2~3 feet.
>
> As a couch pilot I thought the flying was unbelievable, particularly when
> you watch the PIC maneuver the cyclic 15 degrees in all directions
> constantly - he never stopped moving it. What surprised me is how stable
the
> platform was for the linesman hanging out the door with a wrench
tightening
> a bolt 150' in the air, it was as if he was on a ladder.
>
> If you get a chance try and see the show.
>
>
>