On Jul 22, 7:27 am, Newps wrote:

It is a one in a million chance a pipeline pilot finds a leak before the
company knows about it. The break would have to happen just as the
pilot gets there as the company has pressure gauges on the line. The
pilot is really looking for things that are happening on the right of way.

If it's a small leak the company might not notice. Gas will
kill vegetation, oil will show as a stain. But as you said, those
pilots are mostly looking for people digging where they're not
supposed to be. There was an incident here few years ago where the
pilot found a farmer digging a ditch with a backhoe right over the
line, so he buzzed the farmer until the guy jumped off the machine.
The farmer was furious until the pipeline guys got there and showed
him that his hoe was within inches of striking the gas line and could
have immolated himself.

Dan