# Tool Talk >  Linemen working while dangling from a helicopter - GIF

## Jon

Linemen working while dangling from a helicopter.



Your browser does not support the video tag.


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

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carloski (Jul 13, 2022),

Paul Jones (Jan 3, 2019),

Rangi (Jan 1, 2022),

rgsparber (Jan 1, 2018),

Seedtick (Jan 1, 2018)

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## 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.

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HobieDave (Mar 14, 2020),

NortonDommi (Jan 2, 2018),

Paul Jones (Jan 3, 2019)

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## 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?

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## Ralphxyz

I do hope those lines are dead.

Ralph

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## Frank S

Ralph lines like those are never dead

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

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PJs (Oct 4, 2018),

Rangi (Jan 1, 2022)

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## Jon

Electrical lineman transfers into a waiting helicopter.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Rangi (Jan 1, 2022)

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## Clockguy

Off into the setting sun flies the chopper and the lineman! ..... But wait, who took the video?? And how the heck did HE get home??  :Confused: 

"Uh honey, it seems I will be a bit late for supper, I have to climb home today .......

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## Frank S

> Off into the setting sun flies the chopper and the lineman! ..... But wait, who took the video?? And how the heck did HE get home?? 
> 
> "Uh honey, it seems I will be a bit late for supper, I have to climb home today .......



Reminds me of those Bear Grills reality "sic" TV shows , Of course I had to come back for the camera

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## PJs

> <video controls autoplay loop>
> <source src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/helicopter_stringing_electrical_lines.mp4" type="video/mp4">
> Your browser does not support the video tag.
> </video>



That is some good pilot stuff!!

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## wizard69

Err NO THANKS!

I don't mind working with electricity, in fact it is part of my job, but I like my feet firmly planted on the ground!

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## 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.

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## Jon

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jackhoying (Oct 23, 2018),

ranald (Oct 23, 2018),

Rangi (Jan 1, 2022),

Seedtick (Oct 27, 2018)

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## ranald

Not for me even if I had rubber pants.Surely that was not live.

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## mklotz

> Surely that was not live.



Oh, yes it is...

https://boingboing.net/2013/10/14/el...in-by-hel.html

That electrical (not safety) cable he attaches first and detaches last is a giveaway.

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## ranald

> Oh, yes it is...
> 
> https://boingboing.net/2013/10/14/el...in-by-hel.html
> 
> That electrical (not safety) cable he attaches first and detaches last is a giveaway.



All lives depend on it.



I knew a young chap who was promoted to office work as he continually leant on the vehicle used to work on the high voltage stuff potentially making himself the/or one of the earths if something went wrong up top. Endangered all team lives. He didn't like the extra pay & resultant knowledge that everyone was aware of his stupidity so resigned & now works in a supermarket. Pride & .......


Sorry Marv: Ausie humour:we are "a weird mob", the question was rhetorical. Needless to say they would need stable conditions for the highly skilled eggbeater's operator to be so so exact. My lap top just dropped out & something went awry: every thing topsy tervy, but you get the gist.

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## Jon

> Oh, yes it is...
> 
> https://boingboing.net/2013/10/14/el...in-by-hel.html
> 
> That electrical (not safety) cable he attaches first and detaches last is a giveaway.



Good find. BoingBoing was a lot better 5 years ago. Interesting that the helicopter lineman is avoiding injury essentially the same way that a bird does when landing on electrical lines.

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## PJs

> Not for me even if I had rubber pants.Surely that was not live.



I would need rubber pants!

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## Jon

23-second video:

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Seedtick (Dec 31, 2018)

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## suther51

Having seen Video of a black hawk like helicopter in a similar situation crash after a downdraft caused rotor to hit and break up this gives me the willies. After the rotors disintegrated the chopper rolled down the mountain. One rescue became 2 or more.
Eric

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## PJs

That chopper pilot's _Got Some Skills_!! Rotors we probably less than a foot off the snow pack and the way he nosed in on the skids...Wow!

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## 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).

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Jon (Jan 3, 2019),

PJs (Jan 3, 2019)

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## Troll Hunter

To me it looks as if it is a video run in reverse, since it appears to be a helicopter taking off from a mountainside. On the other hand, I may be a bat bickward!

Mike

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baja (Jan 10, 2019)

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## Jon

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PJs (Jan 10, 2019),

ranald (Jan 10, 2019),

Rangi (Jan 1, 2022),

Seedtick (Jan 10, 2019)

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## ranald

Lots of skill. Pilot would rely on instruments being perfect on that incline.

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## PJs

Pilots...they know how to find Balance and have clarity of boundaries! Holy Kadoodle, barely a dip when the first guy got on nosed in and steady as a rock on the pair from the line! _Most impressive_ and similar to the first...wonder if it was the same pilot?

Thanks Jon...makes one pucker and well up after at their skills.
PJ

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## Radioman

One tiny change in the wind and we’d be looking at a different video!

Nice flying pilot!!

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PJs (Jan 11, 2019)

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## Jon

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jackhoying (Jan 11, 2019),

oldcaptainrusty (Jan 11, 2019),

ranald (Jan 10, 2019),

Rangi (Jan 11, 2019),

Seedtick (Jan 11, 2019)

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## ranald

not sure if I would like to run over there & fasten bolts. MORE precision pilot work.

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## Hoosiersmoker

News flash! Stranded skiers rescued from rugged mountainside in a display of heroic helicopter skills... Camera man parishes.  :Lol:

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PJs (Jan 11, 2019)

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## PJs

Interesting that the rotor wash took a while to clear the fresh snow and visibility was Zero...once the loose stuff was gone, he Nailed it. Got to have some guidance sleeves or something? Some odd angular pieces on the base. I know they have cameras and such but the pilot has to keep it straight under the wash and not let it twist and shout while the cargo master puts it in place. 2 part Harmony...SKILLS!

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## neilbourjaily

Just like planting lift towers at the ski slope.

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## Jon

> Helicopter transfers linemen to the wire for energized insulator change-outs.



1:01 video:

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ranald (Mar 9, 2019),

Rangi (Jan 1, 2022)

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## ranald

Shocking as the acrophobia was getting the best of me while watching.

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## PDXsparky

The pilot has some skills there too.

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## Jon



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baja (Mar 27, 2019),

ranald (Mar 26, 2019),

Rangi (Jan 1, 2022),

Seedtick (Mar 26, 2019),

Tule (Mar 27, 2019)

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## ranald

He's a sparkie. 

I think it is a live & he's very trusting of his ppe. Guess the tom foolery was to entertain us & it worked for me. R2D2 eat ya heart out or circuits.

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## Fluffle-Valve

Rather them than me.

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## Jon

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baja (May 7, 2019),

ranald (May 6, 2019),

Rangi (Jan 1, 2022),

Scotsman Hosie (May 7, 2019),

Seedtick (May 6, 2019),

that_other_guy (May 22, 2019)

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## ranald

holy smokes!

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## jimfols

Get thee behind me Satan.

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## Tonyg

I bet he had a choice word or two with the guy on the ground.

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## Jon

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baja (Jun 16, 2019),

KustomsbyKent (Jun 16, 2019),

Rangi (Jun 16, 2019),

Seedtick (Jun 15, 2019)

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## Ralphxyz

There must have been more room between the trees than it appears.

Ralph

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## Frank S

> There must have been more room between the trees than it appears.
> 
> Ralph



Room or no room flying backwards in a confined space is not for the faint at heart or the inexperienced pilot.
I understand his reason for doing it. It got the rotor wash out of the area in the quickest manor possible

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## Radioman

I wonder if they teach that in traffic helicopter school?
Looks more like something a Vietnam dust off pilot would do.

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## Frank S

> I wonder if they teach that in traffic helicopter school?
> Looks more like something a Vietnam dust off pilot would do.



you are exactly correct back out under the canopy stay near the water, follow the river keeping low then once far enough away leap into the air at max rise,

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## ranald

Cool! Apart from the excellent skill of the pilot, I was wondering if they were birch trees on the bank?===just wondering (not common here but tropical ones are much smaller that i've seen).

cheers

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