Thank you. You are very kind. Dealing with heights - focus on the work. Place a 2"X4" on the ground and everyone can walk along it. Raise it a foot off the ground, or more, and people start falling off. It's all in your head. Control your head and it's no problem. As for the dangers, I never want to get used to those. A healthy fear, a respect for the danger, will keep you alive. Any lineman/pilot who says he is fearless is one I don't want to work with.
+Adam Hammond Thank you Adam. From Golden Knight, to Father, to one damn good utility pilot! Without fine men like you doing the flying, linemen would never get to shoot such footage! As I know you will, you do; please be safe my friend.
As a private pilot you can only really fly for fun not for compensation...Look into getting your commercial and most likely your instrument too, mainly because most corporations require it for insurance purposes...Most popular route is go for your flight instructor rating to get into the industry. After a couple years you will have logged a decent amount of time to be competitive in the market. I’m currently a CFI but my goal is firefighting.
Your prayers for safety are deeply appreciated. Thank you. Great sorrow for your injured friend - may I offer in return my prayers for him. Thanks again, FL
Your father and uncle were the pioneers in this industry who paved the way for us today to perform these tasks safely. Gratitude to them for the foundations they built. Nani gigantum humeris insidentes.
FlyingLineman, I'm a cable tv lineman (tower/pole climber) and I just gotta say what you do makes us have the utmost respect for you. Keep flying and stay safe brother!
As a heli pilot I watch this kind of flying in Absolute amazement, the skill the pilot shows to keep that heli close enough to those lines so to allow those linemen to get out and on the cables is just pure insanity!!!! I wish that one day I can fly with that much skill and confidence, I can only fathom how nervous and hard that kind of flying must be
Hi FlyingLineman, I love the videos. I started working as an electrician three years ago and in this time I've developed a huge interest in the lineman trade. I so respect linemen do, both the vital contribution to society and the risks you take. Keep uploading!
We all work together to keep the lights on. Thank you Suzie for your kind words, and for your endeavors that are also a crucial part of the circle. In all you do, please be safe, 220 kills just as dead as 500,000... together, we make it all happen. My prayers for your safety, and your success.
That gave me chills seeing how close the tail-rotor got to the wires. That's some impressive flying! I was thinking those 3 wires were phases, but if you're sitting on one and holding another, they must all be one phase.
im an electrician and i totaly respect these guys. what i would give to do this one time. They put the rod out there so they are the same potential so is the chopper. its just so amazing
In 1996 my house was on fire while myself and family were asleep in bed... your brothers saved our lives. Hats off to you my friend, and thank you for being willing to run into burning buildings/houses.
This job looks scary but exciting. I witnessed a power line inspection today. I've never heard of them before. You guys can't get paid enough. Fantastic!
Hats off to all the women and men working together for the essential services you reference. Together we are better than the sum of our parts. Thank you. As always, safety (not revenue!) first.
Got a degree in electrical and electronic engineering but I've always wanted to do this job. The powers are so high and the risk is mitigated by knowledge and a calm mindset. So pure
Two sources of charge: one from the main rotor through the air, second from the energized line - the arc you see in this vid is mostly from the 500KV powerline. No, the heli cannot 'store' the charge from the line. When the heli pulls away it leaves behind the EM field/charge from the powerline. Upon landing the heli will discharge the much smaller, continuously generated static charge generated by the motion/friction of the blades through air/dust. F.L.
Basically all tools must be secured by a lanyard. I have a friend who does rope-access work for construction. Everything must be secured to the tool belt, from spanners to drills.
I'm a commercial pilot who began my career as a helicopter pilot with the commercial rating. These machines are incredibly complex to fly but once you get to know them, they are incredibly versatile. High voltage lines have never been my specialty but every competent pilot has the skills of precision hovering and aircraft handling to potentially enable him or her to perform these sort of situations.
Not to make this about money, but I couldn't help think that this makes the 10's of millions that pro athlete's make, seem obscene. I didn't even know such an occupation as this even existed. There are so many people quietly doing the hazardous work needed to keep our lives running smoothly and to be honest and a bit ashamed, I never gave it much thought. I never thought about how the power lines were serviced and if I had, this is not what I would've come up with. Much respect and thanks..
geez!! im assuming you need extreme confidence in your crew and pilot. cant imagine the nerves it must take. kudos to you guys. cant imagine why 20 people would dislike this educational footage.
Bismill Allah!!.. Asalaam Aliakum. (I said: " In The Name Of Almighty God🤍♾️💛❤️💋. I'm praying, & wishing for Almighty God♾️🤍❤️💛💜 to continue blessing, forgiving, being Merciful, being patient with us, providing for us, giving & taking for what is best for us according to our needs & His will..and of course to continue unconditionally loving you, your friends, families, & all of those that you all love, & is on your heart, and on all of our hearts, & much more too!! May we all continue being very blessed by our Lord Almighty God..(Masha Allah!!) Humbly, & thankfully & in His HOLY Name..amen, Amin, ameen, ahmen.
@@JerickaBingham "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
i have the utmost respect for these people who do their job to keep essential services running - think of the baby ward in a hospital fed by these lines and what would happen if these men did not do what they do - please stay safe all of you
Two sources for a possible spark, one from the wires, the other is actually from the "friction" or interaction of the spinning rotor with air molecules. So, yes, even far from the lines a helicopter upon landing can/will cause a spark. I remember the scene from "Hunt for Red October" when Jack Ryan is being lowered to the sub and the guy doing the retrieving doesn't 'ground' properly and gets his stuffing knocked out. Those larger helicopters, larger rotor systems, can generate quite a charge.
The three wires are part of the same phase - they are in essence one conductor, known as a 'bundled conductor.' These towers have the usual thee phases (left, middle and right) with each individual phase being composed of three wires tied together, same potential. You are correct in your thinking that if a linemen were to reach out, bridge the gap between two different phases, two wires, of differing potential they would indeed fry like bacon left in the pan too long. Hope this helps.
So they are tied together in sections? I have seen a video of yours where you are replacing an old connection and replacing it with a cool looking replacement that ties them together without being so stiff...is this where they are "bundled"? Also, how can they be different "phases" if they have no EMF potential between them?
Most kind, thank you. Actually, much practical testing went into this procedure before it was tried with a human guinea pig - including lading a helicopter on a specially built platform on top of a tower, then energizing it. Also, 'bare hand' work had been done from insulated bucket trucks for many years prior to helicopters. Finally someone saw the helicopter as the ultimate, go anywhere bucket truck and voila... aerial linemen were born.
WOW MAN, NO WORDS. YOU JUST DO YOUR JOB, AND OBVIOUSLY YOU LOVE IT. .......WHAT AN INSPIRATION..... WITHOUT YOUR CORAGE AND LOVE, WE COULDNT WATCH THIS VIDEO NOW...
Unreal. I will never complain about my job again. The stones it takes to do that job is unimaginable. They say football players are tough, boxers are tough, a gangster is tough. Naw. These guys are tougher than tough. Much respect.
where your scenario does become reality in current configurations is where, for example, the insulators are coated/covered in bird poop or perhaps next to the ocean where salty spray has contaminated them. In these types of situations, when it rains hard the current can/does indeed find a path to ground and the line either experiences a momentary interruption or a complete breaker-tripping fault.
Thanks for your kind words. Porcelain, the material used to make those insulators. Although water, H2O, is a 'polar' molecule, water itself doesn't conduct electricity very well. If the voltage were high enough, much higher than current transmission voltages, your scenario might become reality (imagine the story about not swimming in lakes during a lightning storm - high enough voltage, water will conduct ).
dont forget - these ines power breathing machines at the nearest hospitals - without the courage of these guys and the flow through the line people could die !!!! these guys rock !! seen your series in england , noticed the ident marks on the chopper , thanks to you all and god bless
Because the linemen are really only siting on one phase - which is a 'bundled' configuration, composed of three wires (sometimes two, sometimes four or more - bundled conductors) which are all tied together and equipotential. Happy to help - I'm sure an engineer could explain much more precisely, perhaps more accurately, than I. Additional input from any qualified source is always welcome and appreciated.
Gratitude! Your comprehension of the physics involved eclipses my feeble attempts. May all who seek find your words and understand. Thank you for taking time to offer illumination. (pun intended)
The main rotor does create static electricity that will discharge to a ground source - what you are seeing here is mostly the bridging of potential between the helicopter and a conductor energized at 500,000 volts.
bottom line is that you are absolutely right in your thinking - under the right circumstances (water with enough impurities and high enough voltage) the current in the wires does find a path to ground and cause a fault. Why this doesn't happen all the time is explained by the relatively low conductivity of water and the engineering over'-building that is factored into the construction of power lines.
No, you do feel it. It's not usually irritating if you have the suit tied up properly. You do get sparks and some mild discomfort if you failed to tighten everyrhing up. It really just feels like static electricity. I hope that helps.
@CactusWolf For having the helicopter in same potential as the wire so the technicians can "safely" move from copter to wire. There's actually a clamped wire they use for the purpose, the stick being for before they can connect that and after it has been disconnected.
My father and uncle did this type of work out of Florida with Haverfield Helicopters in the 80's. It's truly, in my opinion one of the most dangerous and important jobs in our country. He always said though, 'If everyone does their job safely, everyone will go home safely'. Glad he's on the ground these days honestly. Stay safe linemen!
You're 100% correct - yes, contaminated water is conductive. But how conductive is it? There's the rub, so to speak. Almost any material - given enough voltage/current applied to it - will become a conductor. Check out "Electrical resistivity and conductivity" on Wikipedia. The porcelain insulators are made with the 'skirts' on the underneath side - folds that increase the overall surface area - the length of the path to ground that must be bridged.
I'm a newly grad Electrical Engineer and currently doing some electrician services for more practice before I go to real engineering works. I had serviced Low voltage lines which are still energized. You can actually hold one live wire without gloves but when you lean on a wall with your sweaty clothes while holding the wire, you'll feel the surge of electricity (also when you try two hold the two livewires with barehands) It will be worse if your holding two energized HV line with wet clothes.
While watching this vid, the word "crazy" came to mind. Ha. I don't even like climbing over my back fence, let along hanging off some wire waaaaaay the hell up there. Hats off to ya, mates!
I am as equally impressed with the helicopter pilot keeping the helicopter so stable, as with the men on the wire. I am no expert by any means, but surely there's an easier way to get this job done.
yes, very true, but the arcing seen in this video is way above that generated from the rotor system of a MD500 - it's main source is the energized 500KV line being contacted.
very same principle of differences in potential - one when the helicopter enters the field and is raised to the wire potential and the other when the helicopter departs the field and potential is lowered. In addition to the induction from the energized wires, the helicopters rotor system generates a static charge that dissipates with the changes in potential - both coming and going from the wires.
In some parts it only pays about 18-20 per hr. Most of the gulf coast is around 75 per hr. A few yrs ago a friend of mine and his line buddy had a structure fall with them, killing one and forever fucked the other. He received work comp for about 2 yrs. now he's on his own. Just goes to show how much we are appreciated for giving and risking our lives so society can live comfortably. God speed guys Stay safe And may the line gods watch over us.
LOL. "electrocuted" implies 'death by electric shock' - no, as I type I'm fairly certain I've never been electrocuted. :) Yes I have been shocked good a few times- always from the static charge from the main rotor (for example, forgetting to bond on when reaching out for a static wire. Doesn't kill, but will certainly make your arm tingle, hurt like hell and make you remember the next time to bond first!) To date, thank the Lord, I've no experience with 'electrocuted' in the sense you're asking.
You are correct - same principle as a 'bird on the wire' - there is no path to ground. However, just like a bird landing on a wire, the helicopter is not initially at the same potential as the energized wire - there's the key point, different potentials. Even with no path to ground, the helicopter and crew still must be raised to the potential energy of the wires - drawing the arc.
If you want to be a lineman, aerial lineman or traditional, I would STRONGLY suggest that you make the efforts to enroll in an IBEW 4 year apprentice program - this is your path to becoming a Journey Lineman. If you want to work with powerlines, this should be your goal. Once certified as a journeyman, you can then choose to work with helicopters if it still interests you, and I think you'll be satisfied with your earning potential. As with any line of work, strive to be the very best.
@JetMechMA I believe the arc is because the power lines are AC. The helicopter forms one plate of a capacitor, the earth forms the other. They're far apart so the capacitance is small but nonzero. Capacitors pass AC currents that appear here as the arc when the helicopter bonds onto the wire. A small current flows onto and off of the helicopter, charging and uncharging it 60 times per second. That current could still burn a worker if he wasn't wearing a Faraday suit.
Insulators are shaped so that the glass discs just makes the rain water trickle off it and not form a short circuit path. During heavy rain, I have seen arcing across 25kV insulators on railway overhead lines. If the rain contains impurities, it can make it more conductive and likely to create a small path to ground. I hope they are careful not to accidentally touch any of the adjacent phase/conductors above or below them.
Every time the heli 'bonds' on or off to/from the conductor it is raise to (or lowered from) the potential of the lines, so every time you will have the charge bridging the gap between wires and wand (the metal rod the lineman is holding.)
The 'hot' in 'hotsuit' does not refer to ambient/physical temperature - in this application the word 'hot' is used to refer to the power lines being energized, or, having electricity flowing.
Thank you. You are very kind. Dealing with heights - focus on the work. Place a 2"X4" on the ground and everyone can walk along it. Raise it a foot off the ground, or more, and people start falling off. It's all in your head. Control your head and it's no problem. As for the dangers, I never want to get used to those. A healthy fear, a respect for the danger, will keep you alive. Any lineman/pilot who says he is fearless is one I don't want to work with.
FlyingLineman how do I get this job I am currently an industrial electrician apprentice and I want to do this
OFFICIAL SBA yeah please tell us I’m very interested
Just be a bad ass
A healthy fear and respect for danger " much appreciated lines ...
Its ok not to be afraid of heights, but ALWAYS be respectful of them.
Tim, this is the video that set me on my path as a career utility pilot. Thanks for making it.
+Adam Hammond Thank you Adam. From Golden Knight, to Father, to one damn good utility pilot! Without fine men like you doing the flying, linemen would never get to shoot such footage! As I know you will, you do; please be safe my friend.
Adam Hammond how's it coming man?
interesting. I came here as a helicopter pilot to consider this as a job. What can I do with a private pilot license?
As a private pilot you can only really fly for fun not for compensation...Look into getting your commercial and most likely your instrument too, mainly because most corporations require it for insurance purposes...Most popular route is go for your flight instructor rating to get into the industry. After a couple years you will have logged a decent amount of time to be competitive in the market. I’m currently a CFI but my goal is firefighting.
Been 5 years wya now
Your prayers for safety are deeply appreciated. Thank you. Great sorrow for your injured friend - may I offer in return my prayers for him.
Thanks again,
FL
Your father and uncle were the pioneers in this industry who paved the way for us today to perform these tasks safely. Gratitude to them for the foundations they built.
Nani gigantum humeris insidentes.
FlyingLineman, I'm a cable tv lineman (tower/pole climber) and I just gotta say what you do makes us have the utmost respect for you. Keep flying and stay safe brother!
As a heli pilot I watch this kind of flying in Absolute amazement, the skill the pilot shows to keep that heli close enough to those lines so to allow those linemen to get out and on the cables is just pure insanity!!!! I wish that one day I can fly with that much skill and confidence, I can only fathom how nervous and hard that kind of flying must be
May you get to that level, every success to you.
You have to be Very relaxed and so focused in your hover.
Thank you Brandon - both for your time in offering answers as well as your service to our country. Much gratitude.
F.L.
Hi FlyingLineman, I love the videos. I started working as an electrician three years ago and in this time I've developed a huge interest in the lineman trade. I so respect linemen do, both the vital contribution to society and the risks you take. Keep uploading!
We all work together to keep the lights on. Thank you Suzie for your kind words, and for your endeavors that are also a crucial part of the circle. In all you do, please be safe, 220 kills just as dead as 500,000... together, we make it all happen. My prayers for your safety, and your success.
+FlyingLineman how do you get into this line of work?
I Thank these guys a lot because these are the guys that keep are lights on brave men working day in and day out to support there family
That gave me chills seeing how close the tail-rotor got to the wires. That's some impressive flying! I was thinking those 3 wires were phases, but if you're sitting on one and holding another, they must all be one phase.
Yes they are sub conductors and are 1 phase
It's called a bundle. It is just one phase.
Each bundle is one phase. There are 3 bundles on the tower.
im an electrician and i totaly respect these guys. what i would give to do this one time. They put the rod out there so they are the same potential so is the chopper. its just so amazing
In 1996 my house was on fire while myself and family were asleep in bed... your brothers saved our lives. Hats off to you my friend, and thank you for being willing to run into burning buildings/houses.
This job looks scary but exciting. I witnessed a power line inspection today. I've never heard of them before. You guys can't get paid enough. Fantastic!
These men are real heroes. They risk their lifes every time so we have the electricity to watch them do their job on youtube. Great job men!
These men lack any fear. Hats off. All respect.Thank you for what you are doing!
Hats off to all the women and men working together for the essential services you reference. Together we are better than the sum of our parts. Thank you. As always, safety (not revenue!) first.
Got a degree in electrical and electronic engineering but I've always wanted to do this job. The powers are so high and the risk is mitigated by knowledge and a calm mindset. So pure
Two sources of charge: one from the main rotor through the air, second from the energized line - the arc you see in this vid is mostly from the 500KV powerline. No, the heli cannot 'store' the charge from the line. When the heli pulls away it leaves behind the EM field/charge from the powerline. Upon landing the heli will discharge the much smaller, continuously generated static charge generated by the motion/friction of the blades through air/dust. F.L.
What if man could fly without heli? Could be spark between man and powerline (without ground) in that case?
That's fucking intense.
You mean fucking insane, don't you?.
Very intense and insane
then you drop your screw driver
Yes that happens:)
they better bring a whole set lol
Basically all tools must be secured by a lanyard. I have a friend who does rope-access work for construction. Everything must be secured to the tool belt, from spanners to drills.
I'm a commercial pilot who began my career as a helicopter pilot with the commercial rating. These machines are incredibly complex to fly but once you get to know them, they are incredibly versatile. High voltage lines have never been my specialty but every competent pilot has the skills of precision hovering and aircraft handling to potentially enable him or her to perform these sort of situations.
Not to make this about money, but I couldn't help think that this makes the 10's of millions that pro athlete's make, seem obscene. I didn't even know such an occupation as this even existed. There are so many people quietly doing the hazardous work needed to keep our lives running smoothly and to be honest and a bit ashamed, I never gave it much thought. I never thought about how the power lines were serviced and if I had, this is not what I would've come up with. Much respect and thanks..
geez!! im assuming you need extreme confidence in your crew and pilot. cant imagine the nerves it must take. kudos to you guys. cant imagine why 20 people would dislike this educational footage.
What these guys do is damned impressive.
Most kind. Thank you. And, gratitude for your time and expertise in answering questions. Much appreciated.
A moment of prayer, silence and respect to those departed. Very sad news. Thank you for sharing.
unhealthy or not, hats off to them for doing it. Better them than me ;-)
Covid 19 GMA news 70
Bismill Allah!!.. Asalaam Aliakum. (I said: " In The Name Of Almighty God🤍♾️💛❤️💋. I'm praying, & wishing for Almighty God♾️🤍❤️💛💜 to continue blessing, forgiving, being Merciful, being patient with us, providing for us, giving & taking for what is best for us according to our needs & His will..and of course to continue unconditionally loving you, your friends, families, & all of those that you all love, & is on your heart, and on all of our hearts, & much more too!! May we all continue being very blessed by our Lord Almighty God..(Masha Allah!!) Humbly, & thankfully & in His HOLY Name..amen, Amin, ameen, ahmen.
@@JerickaBingham "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
Thank you for doing what you do! May God be with you and yours.
“Yeah, just drop us off here”
Just would like to thank you for the service you are doing for the youtube community
i have the utmost respect for these people who do their job to keep essential services running - think of the baby ward in a hospital fed by these lines and what would happen if these men did not do what they do - please stay safe all of you
Two sources for a possible spark, one from the wires, the other is actually from the "friction" or interaction of the spinning rotor with air molecules. So, yes, even far from the lines a helicopter upon landing can/will cause a spark. I remember the scene from "Hunt for Red October" when Jack Ryan is being lowered to the sub and the guy doing the retrieving doesn't 'ground' properly and gets his stuffing knocked out. Those larger helicopters, larger rotor systems, can generate quite a charge.
The three wires are part of the same phase - they are in essence one conductor, known as a 'bundled conductor.' These towers have the usual thee phases (left, middle and right) with each individual phase being composed of three wires tied together, same potential. You are correct in your thinking that if a linemen were to reach out, bridge the gap between two different phases, two wires, of differing potential they would indeed fry like bacon left in the pan too long. Hope this helps.
So they are tied together in sections? I have seen a video of yours where you are replacing an old connection and replacing it with a cool looking replacement that ties them together without being so stiff...is this where they are "bundled"? Also, how can they be different "phases" if they have no EMF potential between them?
Most kind, thank you. Actually, much practical testing went into this procedure before it was tried with a human guinea pig - including lading a helicopter on a specially built platform on top of a tower, then energizing it. Also, 'bare hand' work had been done from insulated bucket trucks for many years prior to helicopters. Finally someone saw the helicopter as the ultimate, go anywhere bucket truck and voila... aerial linemen were born.
WOW MAN, NO WORDS. YOU JUST DO YOUR JOB, AND OBVIOUSLY YOU LOVE IT. .......WHAT AN INSPIRATION..... WITHOUT YOUR CORAGE AND LOVE, WE COULDNT WATCH THIS VIDEO NOW...
Unreal. I will never complain about my job again. The stones it takes to do that job is unimaginable. They say football players are tough, boxers are tough, a gangster is tough. Naw. These guys are tougher than tough. Much respect.
where your scenario does become reality in current configurations is where, for example, the insulators are coated/covered in bird poop or perhaps next to the ocean where salty spray has contaminated them. In these types of situations, when it rains hard the current can/does indeed find a path to ground and the line either experiences a momentary interruption or a complete breaker-tripping fault.
Thanks for this response, sorry it took me so long to reply. I thought I had checked more recently for your response. What an amazing job you guys do!
Thanks for your kind words. Porcelain, the material used to make those insulators. Although water, H2O, is a 'polar' molecule, water itself doesn't conduct electricity very well. If the voltage were high enough, much higher than current transmission voltages, your scenario might become reality (imagine the story about not swimming in lakes during a lightning storm - high enough voltage, water will conduct ).
Thanks for your input - and expertise, very much appreciated.
That electric arc at the end had me go Pheew!
Thanks for your kind response :)
@FlyingLineman True all that. I admire the hell out of you and what you do. Thanks for keeping the lights on for us.
... insane. Gratz to the workers and a hat off also to the pilot! Amazing flight.
Thanks for the ideas you have shared here.
Three words: Skills. Teamwork. Trust.
dont forget - these ines power breathing machines at the nearest hospitals - without the courage of these guys and the flow through the line people could die !!!! these guys rock !! seen your series in england , noticed the ident marks on the chopper , thanks to you all and god bless
Your father and his brother have bravery I can't comprehend.
You guys are amazing. Keep up the good work and stay safe.
I have a ton of admiration for all you guys that do this. I don't consider myself a coward, but, you couldn't talk me into doing that....😳
@FlyingLineman Hats off for telling it like it is.
Because the linemen are really only siting on one phase - which is a 'bundled' configuration, composed of three wires (sometimes two, sometimes four or more - bundled conductors) which are all tied together and equipotential.
Happy to help - I'm sure an engineer could explain much more precisely, perhaps more accurately, than I. Additional input from any qualified source is always welcome and appreciated.
That is a good pilot!!! :-O
And it really takes guts to clime on to some high voltaic wires!
Gratitude! Your comprehension of the physics involved eclipses my feeble attempts. May all who seek find your words and understand. Thank you for taking time to offer illumination. (pun intended)
I’m sure it’s in the comments but please tell me in simple terms how people can touch what I am assuming is live wires like this?
The propeller can literally slash their heads off. The pilot must be extremely skilled
You have great balls, man.
Excellent video, those guys wear conductive suits to keep them at the same potential as the line where they are working from.
Idk how I got here, but wow! This video is so fascinating. How they use the rod and climbing gear and no parachutes. All while wearing work boots.
Hats off to you fellas. That is crazy
Complete trust in your pilot right there! Respect and mad props (no pun intended) to these guys! That's some dangerious shit!
Hats off to a dangerous job. Lost a friend when his chopper clipped a line while doing inspections.
The main rotor does create static electricity that will discharge to a ground source - what you are seeing here is mostly the bridging of potential between the helicopter and a conductor energized at 500,000 volts.
Solid brass...Awesome video
bottom line is that you are absolutely right in your thinking - under the right circumstances (water with enough impurities and high enough voltage) the current in the wires does find a path to ground and cause a fault. Why this doesn't happen all the time is explained by the relatively low conductivity of water and the engineering over'-building that is factored into the construction of power lines.
I want to ask, considering that the suit deviates every little electricity to the body, but inside the suit you do not feel no tingling or vibration?
No, you do feel it. It's not usually irritating if you have the suit tied up properly. You do get sparks and some mild discomfort if you failed to tighten everyrhing up. It really just feels like static electricity. I hope that helps.
@@cessna9970v 7 years later😂😂
@@Gangster0326 I guess patience is a virtue
PUNtentially the best post ^^
@CactusWolf
For having the helicopter in same potential as the wire so the technicians can "safely" move from copter to wire.
There's actually a clamped wire they use for the purpose, the stick being for before they can connect that and after it has been disconnected.
Yea. No. Go Ahead and give them a raise.....cause I sure as shit wouldn't be caught dead up there.
My father and uncle did this type of work out of Florida with Haverfield Helicopters in the 80's. It's truly, in my opinion one of the most dangerous and important jobs in our country. He always said though, 'If everyone does their job safely, everyone will go home safely'. Glad he's on the ground these days honestly. Stay safe linemen!
OMG, that is so dangerous - and necessary. Thanks to you guys with the nerve to do this!
A 'wand' to take the arc when you bond the helicopter to or from the wire (simple construction of long skinny metal rod, 1/0 wire with clamp attached)
You're 100% correct - yes, contaminated water is conductive. But how conductive is it? There's the rub, so to speak. Almost any material - given enough voltage/current applied to it - will become a conductor. Check out "Electrical resistivity and conductivity" on Wikipedia. The porcelain insulators are made with the 'skirts' on the underneath side - folds that increase the overall surface area - the length of the path to ground that must be bridged.
I'm a newly grad Electrical Engineer and currently doing some electrician services for more practice before I go to real engineering works. I had serviced Low voltage lines which are still energized. You can actually hold one live wire without gloves but when you lean on a wall with your sweaty clothes while holding the wire, you'll feel the surge of electricity (also when you try two hold the two livewires with barehands) It will be worse if your holding two energized HV line with wet clothes.
While watching this vid, the word "crazy" came to mind. Ha. I don't even like climbing over my back fence, let along hanging off some wire waaaaaay the hell up there. Hats off to ya, mates!
I am as equally impressed with the helicopter pilot keeping the helicopter so stable, as with the men on the wire. I am no expert by any means, but surely there's an easier way to get this job done.
easier, yes. faster, no.
THESE guys have MEGA brass ones!
Wow what a pilot
yes, very true, but the arcing seen in this video is way above that generated from the rotor system of a MD500 - it's main source is the energized 500KV line being contacted.
very same principle of differences in potential - one when the helicopter enters the field and is raised to the wire potential and the other when the helicopter departs the field and potential is lowered. In addition to the induction from the energized wires, the helicopters rotor system generates a static charge that dissipates with the changes in potential - both coming and going from the wires.
In some parts it only pays about 18-20 per hr. Most of the gulf coast is around 75 per hr.
A few yrs ago a friend of mine and his line buddy had a structure fall with them, killing one and forever fucked the other. He received work comp for about 2 yrs. now he's on his own. Just goes to show how much we are appreciated for giving and risking our lives so society can live comfortably.
God speed guys
Stay safe
And may the line gods watch over us.
LOL. "electrocuted" implies 'death by electric shock' - no, as I type I'm fairly certain I've never been electrocuted. :) Yes I have been shocked good a few times- always from the static charge from the main rotor (for example, forgetting to bond on when reaching out for a static wire. Doesn't kill, but will certainly make your arm tingle, hurt like hell and make you remember the next time to bond first!) To date, thank the Lord, I've no experience with 'electrocuted' in the sense you're asking.
It takes a lot of nerves to do this, bravo.
From a fixed wing pilot - those are steady hands! (I am bowing down in front of my computer in reverence)
You are correct - same principle as a 'bird on the wire' - there is no path to ground. However, just like a bird landing on a wire, the helicopter is not initially at the same potential as the energized wire - there's the key point, different potentials. Even with no path to ground, the helicopter and crew still must be raised to the potential energy of the wires - drawing the arc.
Wow unbelievable what skill you have doing that
The linemen and the Pilot . . . Great team. !!
That heli pilot is amazing.
WOW! This video left all my hair standing and I have none!
Excellent job
The little love spark at the end❤
If you want to be a lineman, aerial lineman or traditional, I would STRONGLY suggest that you make the efforts to enroll in an IBEW 4 year apprentice program - this is your path to becoming a Journey Lineman. If you want to work with powerlines, this should be your goal. Once certified as a journeyman, you can then choose to work with helicopters if it still interests you, and I think you'll be satisfied with your earning potential. As with any line of work, strive to be the very best.
@JetMechMA I believe the arc is because the power lines are AC. The helicopter forms one plate of a capacitor, the earth forms the other. They're far apart so the capacitance is small but nonzero. Capacitors pass AC currents that appear here as the arc when the helicopter bonds onto the wire. A small current flows onto and off of the helicopter, charging and uncharging it 60 times per second. That current could still burn a worker if he wasn't wearing a Faraday suit.
Thanks for keeping the power running. We take water and electricity for granted.
Insulators are shaped so that the glass discs just makes the rain water trickle off it and not form a short circuit path. During heavy rain, I have seen arcing across 25kV insulators on railway overhead lines. If the rain contains impurities, it can make it more conductive and likely to create a small path to ground.
I hope they are careful not to accidentally touch any of the adjacent phase/conductors above or below them.
I was shocked when I saw this while driving down the highway in my area.
Look how close the tail rotor is to the line, that takes cojones
The zip at the last second is cool.
Also required for safty
Every time the heli 'bonds' on or off to/from the conductor it is raise to (or lowered from) the potential of the lines, so every time you will have the charge bridging the gap between wires and wand (the metal rod the lineman is holding.)
The 'hot' in 'hotsuit' does not refer to ambient/physical temperature - in this application the word 'hot' is used to refer to the power lines being energized, or, having electricity flowing.
espectacular job... grande men.