[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Power Line Helicopters (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/14/2013 5:45:38 PM EDT
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So I’m driving to Minnesota a few weeks ago, and we stop at a rest area. As we walk in, I see this is on the door at the rest area. I’m thinking WTF is this I’m looking at.  " />As we drive a few miles down the road, I see this next to the interstate. Now I’m trying to drive while staring at this helicopter thinking how do they do that without the rotors hitting the power lines. I’m very impressed with the talent of the pilot and the line worker. These guys must have some nerves of steel. I’ve never seen any maintenance on transmission likes like this, so I thought I’d share.  " /> " /> |
| The guy on the skid climbs out onto the lines somethimes. Only way to reach splices and insulators sometimes. The grounding rod from the helicopter will have a 3 foot arc before it is attached. Line worker wears a chainmail suit so he does not generate any resistance which would be bad news. |
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The pictures of explosions are implosive wire splices. They essentially use blasting cord wrapped around the splice to crimp the splice all in one quick shot, rather than using hydraulic equipment to press the fittings. It's fast and especially helpful in areas where you don't have good access to the area with equipment.
Also, you have to give notice of blasting to the public prior to the blasting, hence the notice.
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What does the job pay and what are the prerequisites to get it? Linemans's school, a few years. Then join the union, get on the list and work like an indentured servant for a few years before you get to cherry pick your work. Poor suckers. I think it pays OK, but the lifestyle is not conducive to any lifestyle I want. |
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I think the name of the company is http://www.usaairmobile.com. I've met these guys, the owner, pilots, and linemen that do this work, and they are very professional, have nerves of steel, and I cannot figure out how they walk with the size of the balls between their legs. |
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I think the name of the company is http://www.usaairmobile.com. I've met these guys, the owner, pilots, and linemen that do this work, and they are very professional, have nerves of steel, and I cannot figure out how they walk with the size of the balls between their legs. Haverfield is another one |
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Quoted: The pictures of explosions are implosive wire splices. They essentially use blasting cord wrapped around the splice to crimp the splice all in one quick shot, rather than using hydraulic equipment to press the fittings. It's fast and especially helpful in areas where you don't have good access to the area with equipment. Also, you have to give notice of blasting to the public prior to the blasting, hence the notice.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkpfzIsb_qg |
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Quoted: Linemans's school, a few years. Then join the union, get on the list and work like an indentured servant for a few years before you get to cherry pick your work. Poor suckers. I think it pays OK, but the lifestyle is not conducive to any lifestyle I want. Quoted: Quoted: What does the job pay and what are the prerequisites to get it? Linemans's school, a few years. Then join the union, get on the list and work like an indentured servant for a few years before you get to cherry pick your work. Poor suckers. I think it pays OK, but the lifestyle is not conducive to any lifestyle I want. The apprenticeship and training program is outstanding...but the lifestyle is a hard one, you will have to follow work, and you can make a lot of money, but it's hard on any sort of family life. That being said...if you can work, you will get noticed by a utility company, and there's a good chance you can earn a very good living and not have to live on the road. I work for the Management Association that is a joint sponsor for the training programs...so also, feel free to ask questions. |
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How many hours of flying do you need to have before they'll even talk to you? I asked this question to some of the pilots I've flown with. Essentially they won't look at you unless you have T-line experience. You can't get that experience without either knowing someone or lying on a resume. Either way, you'd better be pretty damn good with an external load, I've seen concrete buckets swinging from the helicopter like it was about to go flying on it's own  and I've seen other pilots set a 3500lb bucket down so gently you could have ridden it and not known when you set down.
My friends who are basically taxi driver pilots would love to get a break into the industry. It would be like winning the lottery for the rest of us. |
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I think the name of the company is http://www.usaairmobile.com. I've met these guys, the owner, pilots, and linemen that do this work, and they are very professional, have nerves of steel, and I cannot figure out how they walk with the size of the balls between their legs. Haverfield is another one Blackcomb is another that I am working with now. Haverfield killed two guys on a project in Colorado a few weeks ago, at least I heard it was them. Not a project I was associated with, but a bad deal anyway. They were on a long-line (50 to 100ft below the ship on a double chair) and the pilot flew into another powerline, cutting the rope. They fell about 200ft from what I heard. |
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Blackcomb is another that I am working with now. Haverfield killed two guys on a project in Colorado a few weeks ago, at least I heard it was them. Not a project I was associated with, but a bad deal anyway. They were on a long-line (50 to 100ft below the ship on a double chair) and the pilot flew into another powerline, cutting the rope. They fell about 200ft from what I heard. Quoted:
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I think the name of the company is http://www.usaairmobile.com. I've met these guys, the owner, pilots, and linemen that do this work, and they are very professional, have nerves of steel, and I cannot figure out how they walk with the size of the balls between their legs. Haverfield is another one Blackcomb is another that I am working with now. Haverfield killed two guys on a project in Colorado a few weeks ago, at least I heard it was them. Not a project I was associated with, but a bad deal anyway. They were on a long-line (50 to 100ft below the ship on a double chair) and the pilot flew into another powerline, cutting the rope. They fell about 200ft from what I heard. I see the same crew a few times a year, I hope it wasnt them, they're always nice. 
Shitty, no matter who it was though. 
IIRC they lost an engine in one about 6~ish years ago and had some serious injuries. eta: yeah, websearch confirms some linemen died in early august 
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I see the same crew a few times a year, I hope it wasnt them, they're always nice.
Shitty, no matter who it was though.
IIRC they lost an engine in one about 6~ish years ago and had some serious injuries. Quoted:
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I think the name of the company is http://www.usaairmobile.com. I've met these guys, the owner, pilots, and linemen that do this work, and they are very professional, have nerves of steel, and I cannot figure out how they walk with the size of the balls between their legs. Haverfield is another one Blackcomb is another that I am working with now. Haverfield killed two guys on a project in Colorado a few weeks ago, at least I heard it was them. Not a project I was associated with, but a bad deal anyway. They were on a long-line (50 to 100ft below the ship on a double chair) and the pilot flew into another powerline, cutting the rope. They fell about 200ft from what I heard. I see the same crew a few times a year, I hope it wasnt them, they're always nice.
Shitty, no matter who it was though.
IIRC they lost an engine in one about 6~ish years ago and had some serious injuries. The nice guys are always the most competent too. I've always gotten along very well with the guy that know their business, the arrogant guys are the ones that seem to drop loads and jar your teeth on landings. Setting the round marker balls on existing wire is probably the hardest thing these guys do, the angle of the wire puts it just off the tail rotor about 5 ft away on a reference point that is too small to judge and moves with the wind. I have pics around somewhere.... |
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The nice guys are always the most competent too. I've always gotten along very well with the guy that know their business, the arrogant guys are the ones that seem to drop loads and jar your teeth on landings. Setting the round marker balls on existing wire is probably the hardest thing these guys do, the angle of the wire puts it just off the tail rotor about 5 ft away on a reference point that is too small to judge and moves with the wind. I have pics around somewhere.... Quoted:
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I think the name of the company is http://www.usaairmobile.com. I've met these guys, the owner, pilots, and linemen that do this work, and they are very professional, have nerves of steel, and I cannot figure out how they walk with the size of the balls between their legs. Haverfield is another one Blackcomb is another that I am working with now. Haverfield killed two guys on a project in Colorado a few weeks ago, at least I heard it was them. Not a project I was associated with, but a bad deal anyway. They were on a long-line (50 to 100ft below the ship on a double chair) and the pilot flew into another powerline, cutting the rope. They fell about 200ft from what I heard. I see the same crew a few times a year, I hope it wasnt them, they're always nice.
Shitty, no matter who it was though.
IIRC they lost an engine in one about 6~ish years ago and had some serious injuries. The nice guys are always the most competent too. I've always gotten along very well with the guy that know their business, the arrogant guys are the ones that seem to drop loads and jar your teeth on landings. Setting the round marker balls on existing wire is probably the hardest thing these guys do, the angle of the wire puts it just off the tail rotor about 5 ft away on a reference point that is too small to judge and moves with the wind. I have pics around somewhere.... 
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That was cool. Thanks. |
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<a href="http://s981.photobucket.com/user/SCW-Shooter/media/IMG_02221.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae294/SCW-Shooter/IMG_02221.jpg</a> I loves me some Skycrane. It's a money making S.O.B. Who doesn't love a helicopter that can log uphill faster than logging down hill. |
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I loves me some Skycrane. It's a money making S.O.B. Who doesn't love a helicopter that can log uphill faster than logging down hill. Quoted:
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<a href="http://s981.photobucket.com/user/SCW-Shooter/media/IMG_02221.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae294/SCW-Shooter/IMG_02221.jpg</a> I loves me some Skycrane. It's a money making S.O.B. Who doesn't love a helicopter that can log uphill faster than logging down hill. No kidding, get those logs out of the way, we've got a powerline to build!
They sure drink the fuel. They will park a semi trailer of fuel for a full days work, and get most of the way through it too! |
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That is nucking futz |
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hows the pay? Quoted:
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I am the field engineer that oversees these activities. Feel free to ask questions. hows the pay? I have to save my pennies to get my next rifle, but my next rifle will be a very expensive rifle. I drive a company truck and own crap cars. I live in an old house and have a pile of kids. Pay is less than I can spend, but enough. |
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I wish I had a helicopter to check power cables with.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/534622_4540318038221_233078007_n.jpg Me too 
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I am the field engineer that oversees these activities. Feel free to ask questions. Which one do you work for? I was an Ops Manager for Hawkeye for 4 years. We always bid against Haverfield, Winco, Air2, Chesapeake Bay Helicopters, etc. We didn't hang guys on wires though, it was just strictly flyby inspections, which an argument could be made that it is just as dangerous in some situations as what you guys do. Flying next to 69kv lines at 50 knots is just asking for a wire strike.... |
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Good lord that chopper is jerking all over the place. I'd barf riding in there. |
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It's amazing to watch live high line work from the air in person. I spend a fair amount of time involved in this type of work - but from the ground. Our biggest problem is keeping street traffic moving nearby when we're doing helicopter work. Everyone stops looking at the road and starts looking at the helicopter....and wrecks.
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Just curious, is that the same as the military "Little Bird"? Quoted:
Just curious, is that the same as the military "Little Bird"? Yes, there are various models but the civilian version is typically an MD500 or Hughes 369. The military version is an OH-6. |
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Yes, there are various models but the civilian version is typically an MD500 or Hughes 369. The military version is an OH-6. Quoted:
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Just curious, is that the same as the military "Little Bird"? Yes, there are various models but the civilian version is typically an MD500 or Hughes 369. The military version is an OH-6. Or an AH-6. The AH-6 has all the pew pew pew goodies.
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Every year ot two a small helo like that with a thermal camera flys the lines near me real slow. I had the oppurtunity to speak with one of the guys who came to work on the lines. He said they are looking for stray electric from breaks in the thermal covering. He said many are caused by dipshits shootig at the lines 
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My friend is a professional lineman. He looked into a position where he would be inspecting the high voltage lines when energized. There is a very high incidence of cancers in those guys that do that for a while. He passed on the opportunity. Bob Can you elaborate on this any more? I'm a lineman and this is the first I have heard of anything like this. I go "hands on" with voltages up to 14kv everyday and while that's a long ways from 69kv or even 756kv, there are guys that do that every day too. We had a contractor crew come through a few months ago that changed some arms ona junction pole on our 69kv line no they did it hot. |
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Or an AH-6. The AH-6 has all the pew pew pew goodies. Quoted:
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Just curious, is that the same as the military "Little Bird"? Yes, there are various models but the civilian version is typically an MD500 or Hughes 369. The military version is an OH-6. Or an AH-6. The AH-6 has all the pew pew pew goodies. 
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I have a buddy that is a senior lineman for our local (and large) power company. At times, he works out of a helicopter. I didn't know this fact until one day I came home for lunch and while I was making a sandwich, an unmarked black helicopter descended into my backyard (kitchen faces it) and hovered there a couple of feet off the lawn facing me. I walked out onto my back deck and looked at the two guys in it who were also dressed in black and had black helments with visors down and I gave them a look like "WTH is going on?". They just hovered there staring at me for a minute or so and then lifted back up and went over the top the house and did the same thing in the front yard. So I went out on my front porch and had another stare down with them. I was starting to freak out a little and then suddenly the helicopter went back over the house and left. I watched it fly away and it went back to some very tall power lines that are on the back of my property and slowly started to fly closely along the line. I thought, "ok that was creepy". About a month later I was at a party and my friend (the lineman) was there too and he asked me if I'd ever been visited by a black helicopter. I looked at him and immediately realized it was him and I said "you MFers freaked me the hell out!" and he laughed his ass off. That was when I learned that he was doing line inspections that day (and I guess does it a lot). They had been inspecting the lines nearby and he saw me pull in to my house and they decided to prank me. He did a hell of a job doing that too. |