when i was young I worked for a tower company and we went up a 1800 foot tower, i still regret quiting that job. my boss dropped one of the tubes of jb weld and had to go all the way back down to get it, 45 min, to go down and an hour and half to climb back up. it was my first day on the job and so he had me just hang around for four hours by myself getting used to being up that high. It was so beautiful, just thought I'd share.
When I was kid I asked my dad what the blinking light were for and he said airplanes. For years I looked to find airplane parked in these air plane rest areas
@@carl1095 If it's night time and clear weather you can generally see tower lights from at least 3-5 NM. I currently use Foreflight on my Ipad when I fly and it will tell me if I have any obstacles in the way.
Honestly you grow to appreciate the engineering and architectural design that goes into tower construction. I’ve seen guys on cell towers that’ll bend like a palm tree, at the end of the day all the equipment and wind at the top would be enough to topple it down if it was gonna come down.
I have a vast newfound respect for the people in this video, as well as others who work in this industry, who maintain the towers that provide us with the services we take for granted everyday. Thank you.
I for one am glad there is safety equipment to keep these guys safe. I replaced bulbs in towers back in college to support myself. We had clips that we could rest, and tie off at the top, but most the time it was a free climb. I was never at the 1700 foot level, but 150 feet will kill you just as dead. I would cart my coffee jug and have coffee at the top and enjoy the view. Thanks for posting.
In fairness, they're higher up with may be scarier, but the climb itself is only the last 100 feel. So it's kinda the same as long as you're high enough to worry about falling.
+skr ....Its worth it just for the view....we used to do it in high school...you weren't nothin..if ya didnt climb the towers...ride in a clothes dryer....lock ourselves in a station wagon on a hot day in tx to see who give up first & come out, dont know why really probably just bored...not i-net then
My lawyer in NYC got $500/hour to send a few emails on my behalf to my former employer. So please pay these people right. Also what about the Microwave Radiation risk they are likely to be exposed to?
I watched the “stairway to heaven” video you referenced above and could not believe the level of risk those two climbers were willing to accept “free climbing”. Not to mention there were cumulonimbus clouds building nearby. Glad to see that you guys are lot more responsible, stay safe!
I heard of someone who does this and gets paid 20,000.00 to change one light bulb every 6 months. What is that company? I'm trying to do that, but change 1 light bulb a week for 20,000.00. Any6have any idea what company is paying that much?
I found a company that was hiring for tower climbers. They were only gonna pay me 14 an hour, and work was not guaranteed. Maybe there is a different company that pays better. The job I'm at now sitting in an excavator all day loading trucks with trash. I'm getting 25 an hour. So definitely not gonna take that pay cut I'll be homeless. So maybe there are better paying companies out there but yeah If I can't work 6 days a week I'm not happy, need that overtime for bills.
Depends where one lives. Anyone in a metro area is good to go. Had Sprint for years and never had issues at a metro area. The countryside though, that may well be a different story.
I watched this yesterday from a distance near my house. It got me to thinking how the men got up there, so that led me to this video. A hearty thank you for posting this. I had no idea about how this was done. Keep up the safe work, fellows.
I climbed towers on buildings, the tops of mountains and stationary towers for the maintenance of beacon lights and aircraft lighting...In my day I only used a belt to rest half way up if I had to...Its the swaying of the tower and the feeling of freedom and danger I loved. I would go to the top, do what I had to and just enjoy the view...I can understand this kid and wish him all the luck in the world...I would be enjoying the view and a bird would land next me...We looked at each other and I understood why I did it...
So jealous. Such a great view and you get paid to change a light bulb. I had a tower growing up, and the one thing I bought right away was a fall protection suit. A kid in town lost her father in an industrial accident (not tower related) when he fell. I remember touring a CaseIH factory and the banner leading to the manufacturing area said "The fastest way to an accident is a shortcut". Same thing when climbing. Thanks for putting this video out there. We take for granted wireless communications but don't appreciate the risks people take with their lives to ensure those services. Likewise to the flying public as pilots need to see them at night so they don't fly into them.
Jumping out of planes for the Army was easy peasy compared to this, I could never do this! Scared of heights? After leaving the door of the aircraft your chute opens within seconds and then we float softly to the ground. Not much fear of heights going thru my head but climbing a tower like that would scare the shit outta me. I would have to have a parachute on my back for sure!
Either way, you jumped out of an aircraft and millions look at that in awe. As a nav, I looked at men and women jumpers and thought myself lucky to have worked with them (indirectly) on C-141s and C-5s. I’d go to the back before engine start and see every face and marveled at the courage. Damn, I’m proud of those days.
I think I heard something about how fear of heights is only really happening when you’re high off the ground on things that are static and connected to the ground. Because a plane or a helicopter are seperate from the ground and thus completely independent from whatever is happening down there. Or something like that. Because I also have no fear of heights in a plane and most people probably don’t too. However looking down a straight cliff on a mountain… that’s different
@@Icetea-2000 As a kid visiting the Empire State Building back in the 70s, I didn't want to go near the edge to look down. As an adult, I'd say I'm not afraid of heights. I'm afraid of falling. lol Something about being high up with nothing to hold onto. Did you see the video of the woman standing atop the Burj Khalifa in Dubai?
I know this is an old upload but I just want to say thank all of you folks who do this very dangerous but necessary work. Pleas stay safe and go home in one piece. 👍
All that trouble for one single lightbulb. Why didn't they design it so that it would have slot for like 4 different lightbulbs, so when the one dies they can just switch to another one. They would have to do this less often then.
One line because you're only using one bulb at a time...no extra needed. The assembly for four would be the problem, you don't want it too heavy or blocky.
The circuit could be built into the four light assembly. With today's electronics that would be nothing. When it senses the current bulb is out, it switches to the next in the series. No "thousands of feet" of extra feet of expensive cable needed. Just one supply line for the bulb that would be lit at any given time.
Sounds good to me. I'm sure it could be made to produce at least if not more of the the same light output in lumens at far less cost in electricity but likely a higher cost initially. But then it would conceivable outlast any other type bulb as well so in the end nothing but win win.
I was compelled to watch this even though every nightmare where I've ever fallen off of anything at all has been triggered in the waking hours. Thank you kind soul
Lol. Same here. Funny thing is, I've worked at height before (not ridiculous heights like towers though) and never did get over that feeling. I always thought that if I did it enough it would get easier and it just didnt happen. My hands are literally sweating right now just watching someone else climb those pegs at 1700 feet.
@@nico8587d hahaha birds have no height limitations i been up in the mountains and they are taller then this tower and I seen birds up in the mountains
UsernameUser I know right! I think they need to hire some of these free climbers that they are ticketing for climbing these things illegally! Give em a job instead of vilifying them in my opinion
+C3PO's Bottom Bit a lot of ex military like paratroopers do this shit. I have a friend that repairs antennas lime this. he was a paratrooper. I guess if you can hurl yourself out of a plane at 10k ft with nothing but a dinky parachute then this would nothing.
The safety measures taken here are on a par with those who handle unexploded ammo or who work on live high voltage power like I did for three years. In that three years, I took mandatory Electrical Safety Refresher Courses that were administered by my supervisor and the practices thereof enforced at the individual level by peers. We took them every 3 to 4 months. The other aspect of tower climbers that we must appreciate is the fact those towers are designed and tested by engineers.....every single piece down to the nuts and bolts. After doing a ground inspection, a walk around and looking for potential structural issues, the tower man can climb with confidence. Great video!
We used to have very similar light hosings on the LORAN towers I used to climb for the USCG. Man I loved being able to look at the world with that perspective! Good on ya gents for showing people the right and safe way to climb. It doesn't really take that much extra time and it is worth it every time!!
Every time he reaches for the belt to move it my hands sweat and my legs shake. I could never in my life do this. These guys have my 100% admiration and respect and I'm a war veteran...
Watching this reminded me of my childhood days. At 12 years old me and my cousins used to climb up a 50 foot tower and with no safety gear on. I guess we didn't have fear of heights then. But fast forward to 2002 I was working on a cooling tower in Los Angeles and I was using a fall protection I fell when the big wrench I was using to tighten up the bolts on the large cooling fan motor slipped and I lost my footing and fell. That fall protection device saved my life. I fell like a pendulum and my knee hit the cross member. I was injured by bruising my knee but I didn't fall 20 feet below to get killed. Fall protection devices work. Later on I became a journeyman carpenter and we utilized fall protection device all the time. Although I feared being over four stories high I trusted my fall protection because I remember being saved by it in Los Angeles California. It just takes one slip to fall off even your shoe can slip
Ive always wanted to see the coming back down part, Im no professional climber, but I have climbed huge things in the past, and getting down was always the scariest.
@@DarthVader1977 Possible yes, extremely dangerous? YES. The guy-wires all around the tower will make for a very narrow 'window' to make it safely back down to earth. When there are 3 guywires around the tower, they are separated 120 degrees apart. That's not much room for error.
I have the utmost respect for these men who take on a job that most won't. Unfortunately you have those thrill seekers that in no way represent this industry. God bless these brave men and women who brave the heights and elements to do an incredibly dangerous job.
Thank you for the video and for you support of proper safety practices. As a former sales rep in the safety industry, protecting workers' health and welfare in the work area is something dear to me. In your profession the need for safety equipment is obvious but there are many workspaces that have unrecognized dangers for the worker. Safety in the workplace is the right pf every worker not just those in the most obvious dangerous professions.
Watching the 300" tower climbs like it was all good, then saw this and kinda got nauseous for a second. This is a respectable job for sure. Good to see people like this not only doing the job but also taking the security/safety aspect of it seriously.
When I was a kid (some >50 years ago) my dad took me out to watch an old buddy of his change the light bulb on the top of the KVLY Fargo, ND antenna tower at 2,063'. This was the highest antenna tower on record for many years. The transmitter engineer grabbed two bulbs (an extra in case one was bad or got broke) and took off up the tower. No elevator. He was up around 200' and he slid down the ladder back to the ground. At first we thought he was falling, but he was just 'slipping the outside of the ladder rails with his boots. He walked over to his truck and said "Forgot my gloves." and took off back up the tower. It took quite a while for him to get to the top. I had binoculars and could just see him. When he was done, coming down he slipped the 20' sections at almost free fall speeds. If we hadn't seen him do that the first time around, we'd have thought he was falling. How much did he get for the climb? It was just part of the transmitter engineer's job, no extra pay. (The transmitter was at the tower base.) Safety gear? A hard hat, gloves, and a pair of Redwing boots.
These were the days before my time. I wanted to plant trees during the summer. They wanted me to have a hard hat and safety boots... Yes for tree planting.
You do it right and do it safely the first and every time after that. I did this for the US Air Force for 24 years and never lost, forgot a bulb or climbed the wrong tower, but I do have to say, "IT IS SCARY AS HELL" just dont freeze, you have to come back down. LOL
I watched this video when it came out in 2013, month before I started climbing towers. I was wondering if I have what it takes to climb a mere 40m tower, let alone 500m ones. Turned out I had it, and my conclusion after those years is this - the worst thing that happens every time is getting up there, doing the task and realising you're only halfway done. Because you still have to safely go back down. ;)
How quickly did you manage to get comfortable up there? I've climbed a few towers I was not supposed to and always scared myself good when I got to the top, got too focused on the climb and didn't realize how high I was.
@@tenmil1 dunno, I've had to climb a lot of different types towers and stacks to get comfortable. You know, some towers are similar but then again there exist different models and each one is a bit different to get to. But after a while I've seen most of them, so I knew what to expect. ;)
I think I'd be more nervous about the climb back down, something about relying on your foot to find the next peg, and working with gravity, as opposed to against it on the way up, seems more stressful
Not much to be nervous about when you are 100% tied off. The guys in the original video made me nervous. But I have to say, after climbing a few cell towers required in my training, using those damn lobster claws will wear your hands out a hell of a lot faster than just free climbing the damn thing. In an emergency situation, I can’t say I’m not gonna hang those things on my belt once the safety officer can’t reach me. I’ll take the reprimand to save a life. If I fall, I’ll be dead anyway and won’t be minding too much.
@@grumpygeorgehow can you possibly save someone in an emergency situation? Surely there is no prospect of recovery unless you use a helicopter or something
Anybody that does this kind of work for a living has to be bat shit crazy! I could not even watch the video when he was climbing to the antenna and looking up and down!
You get used to it great way to stay in shape I actually was an office worker and gained lot of weight friend of mine starting a tower service. Got into shape never looked back working indoors just makes you fat and lazy
Most of them are crazy.. but one thing about it, when your out on the town and something happens at the bar, we all become 1 no matter how much u dont care for the guy at work you always have his back.. it's just 1 big family..
I have nightmares awake--don't have to sleep--when watching this video. I can recall a climber who scaled a tower near Yankton, South Dakota in the mid-1960s and people were invited to watch. When he neared the top, to change out clearance and obstruction lighting, his belt broke, he slipped and in front of a small audience of people on the ground fell a thousand feet. No one in the audience ever forgot that event. You couldn't pay me millions of dollars to do this. Being in the telephone industry, I once asked a cell phone tower climber what they paid for the mid-range high towers and he said, "Around a thousand dollars per climb."
You could send me up in the elevator and years later you could pick my skeleton off the top of the tower. I would freeze like stone at even the thought of going up the elevator. These men deserve about $1,000 per hour for changing the bulb, as one person suggested, why didn't they place 4 bulbs up there to turn on consecutively when they burn out. You guys have enormous family jewels or had to be smoking really good weed prior to your venture. Someone has to do it. THANK YOU.
Thanks for posting your hard working ability...im particularly glad you showed the glass globe cover that myself and fellow brothers and sisters in the union manufacturers by hand🇺🇸👍👍
I don't care how safe it is. I couldn't do this. Feel sick having watched the video, pretty much to the same extent that I did with the original a few years ago.
Old Army Signal Corps 36D20 Towerman here. I used to work for the man that had the contract for WTBS in Atlanta. I've been up that thing in the 70s 2 times with no silly safety straps except for tiring off to take a break or change a light bulb or remove a college banner. It was about 1050 feet tall the tallest I ever climbed. That safety crap is scary and could cause a slide. I cant remember which tower in Atlanta had a mast like this but nope, just climbed like a telephone pole and tied off to rest or enjoy the view. But I never fell or slipped. Hell even painting WSBs tower we hung the bucket off our belt, had the car wash Mitt as a paint brush and start at the top and work our way down hanging on with one hand while grabbing a section and running the mit along it and then bending over or under to be sure we didnt miss anything and kept going until on the ground. Kids today would shit themselves if they went that way today!
I wouldn't either. I can handle the height, but the minimal safety and risk of falling is enough for me to say "Fuck that." I'll stick to an IT career, thanks.
They don't pay a good tower man enough money...they can't . In my opinion there aint that much money. I watched a bunch of young tower climbers on a job in South Carolina on a freezing cold night on a iced up 220 foot tower , pitch black after midnight dark, and not an emergency. climb that sucker because they had to do hot cuts on off hours. Never been so glad to see 4 kids get back on the ground safely in my life. Damn company should have been fined and their supervisor put in jail. All I could think about for 4 hours was one of those kids coming through the roof of the shelter or hearing them hit the pavement outside.
@@ludvig4752 you don't typically choose to do things incorrectly or unsafely in the climbing Industry. I hang billboards and the max I go up is 200ft, though you can die just as easily from 15ft. They will preach safety to you and leave boards without cables, or any way to stay hooked up 100%. Yet you can will receive a 5 day suspension if you are caught not hooked up, and then fired the next time. The pay I make is good enough to overlook this fact, however that doesn't change the responsibility of the employer to keep their end of your safety as a priority over any work order. Not sure what you do for a living, but if you don't work in a hazard Industry you have no idea the frustration we face to be told to hook up 100% of the time and then it be impossible AND THEN be punished when you're caught unable to hook up.
@@devonschevers4056 That's seems to be a problem but not really that relevant to this scenario. The first commenter seems to be angry that people should even climb that high whereas my point is that people should if they make that career choice. I do though agree with you that that type of policy seems very stupid and you should be able to argue yourself out from a ban/to be fired.
These guys are doing this for less than 30.00/ hour. Been there back when the pay was $8.00/hour in 1984 when there were no jobs. hunger will make you do anything
Jonesing1000 The light bulb in the over head garage door opener is burned out and I have a hard time doing ladders to reach up 9', so the garage is still dark. I think I'd be dead from starvation before doing this for 8/hr or even 30/hr. You're a better man than I am.
PaiNExoTiC I wear glasses with prisms in the lenses to correct an astigmatism in each eye AND have a hard time with steps because I also have bifocals so I can read and work. The guys that do this work are better than I.
Jonesing1000 In Australia they would be getting no less than 30-35 an hour Source: I'm a Linesman and I only towers and poles around 200 ft and I am on 33 an hour
Been there done that. With and without proper safety. Equipment Best job I ever had. Total freedom driving and staying all over Texas Louisiana Arkansas totally awesome. Until devastating shoulder injury.
I worked in the tower industry for 12 years before they had the safety climb cables attached the the ladders and mono ploles....things have changed a lot since then ,but I really enjoyed free climbing , and once I stopped moving I always hooked off , it was less of a and less tiring to me....when they started telling me how I should climb " the people who've never climbed higher than a step ladder " I quit. and I guarantee you that the 100% hook off rule is broken in that industry every day......no disrespect intended. everyone has there own style of climbing it should be a choice on a rule.
Looks like the top antenna needs replacing or repairing. The side panels are rusted out badly. Back in 1984 I climbed a 50 foot tower that was being used as an antenna tower for a home. It was a few blocks off of the beach. I couldn't get that thing to separate so I had to dig the concrete base up and tip it over and then take it apart. They had put a lot of concrete in that hole they had dug.
when i was young I worked for a tower company and we went up a 1800 foot tower, i still regret quiting that job. my boss dropped one of the tubes of jb weld and had to go all the way back down to get it, 45 min, to go down and an hour and half to climb back up. it was my first day on the job and so he had me just hang around for four hours by myself getting used to being up that high. It was so beautiful, just thought I'd share.
Who gives a rat's ass!
Bring two.
Don't screw up either.
@@MH-WM He's just telling a story, dont be a prick
@@MH-WM don’t be upset cuz u ant got the balls to do it
if you dropped a tube of jb weld from that high how the hell did you find it again
As a pilot I have to thank you guys. You change the bulbs in the towers so I don't crash into them and die.
When I was kid I asked my dad what the blinking light were for and he said airplanes. For years I looked to find airplane parked in these air plane rest areas
From how far away can you see that little light from your aircraft?
@@carl1095 If it's night time and clear weather you can generally see tower lights from at least 3-5 NM. I currently use Foreflight on my Ipad when I fly and it will tell me if I have any obstacles in the way.
@@lusher00 Then it did its job
@@lusher00 there are many lights in those towers
To me the most scary part is trusting that every little part on that tower is welded/assembled correctly.
Honestly you grow to appreciate the engineering and architectural design that goes into tower construction. I’ve seen guys on cell towers that’ll bend like a palm tree, at the end of the day all the equipment and wind at the top would be enough to topple it down if it was gonna come down.
@@nbh3567 good point
The most scary part is if you work in power plant that own by chinese company.. never trust the quality of work done by them.. cheap metal used..
@@modulaoblongata2050 meh, the Chinese can build fine stuff depending on how much they were paid.
@@nbh3567 bryce young is gonna bust
I have a vast newfound respect for the people in this video, as well as others who work in this industry, who maintain the towers that provide us with the services we take for granted everyday. Thank you.
Seriously, though they practice safety I'd still lose it after the first 50 feet. Kuddos to these brave fellows keeping are infrastructure operating!
R Sinclair you are very welcome, thanks for the kudos
It’s all the same after 40 feet... dead is dead
Gearhead’s Gaming well folks, there ya go! All fears have been eliminated! Would you like a Nobel prize for “Stating the Obvious”?
@@dpax2195 Lmao
I for one am glad there is safety equipment to keep these guys safe. I replaced bulbs in towers back in college to support myself. We had clips that we could rest, and tie off at the top, but most the time it was a free climb. I was never at the 1700 foot level, but 150 feet will kill you just as dead.
I would cart my coffee jug and have coffee at the top and enjoy the view.
Thanks for posting.
In fairness, they're higher up with may be scarier, but the climb itself is only the last 100 feel. So it's kinda the same as long as you're high enough to worry about falling.
Nothing but respect for these guys. Some serious steel cajonies here now. I'll stay on the ground and watch.
I wouldn't even get in that lift, you guys deserve a medal and $500 an hour
Ts all a metal game here because falling from 1700 fett is just as dangerous a s falling from 300
dean r I would probably do it for free! Man, this is the best job ever!
vdawg108 Yup! Maybe safer, because at least you can somewhat control where you are landing from 1700.
+skr ....Its worth it just for the view....we used to do it in high school...you weren't nothin..if ya didnt climb the towers...ride in a clothes dryer....lock ourselves in a station wagon on a hot day in tx to see who give up first & come out, dont know why really probably just bored...not i-net then
My lawyer in NYC got $500/hour to send a few emails on my behalf to my former employer. So please pay these people right. Also what about the Microwave Radiation risk they are likely to be exposed to?
That elevator door would open at 1600 ft, and I'd suddenly find out my feet wouldn't move!
Ah I suspect my bowels would though!
How bout there isnt a door, or walls.. your just riding a platform up..
Wich door ?
@@TomAlter1000 Any particular reason you felt the desire to correct this man?
@@TomAlter1000 Ah yes, thanks bud. Couldn't have read that comment without you. Ur a big help
I watched the “stairway to heaven” video you referenced above and could not believe the level of risk those two climbers were willing to accept “free climbing”. Not to mention there were cumulonimbus clouds building nearby. Glad to see that you guys are lot more responsible, stay safe!
I heard of someone who does this and gets paid 20,000.00 to change one light bulb every 6 months. What is that company? I'm trying to do that, but change 1 light bulb a week for 20,000.00. Any6have any idea what company is paying that much?
@@JoshSmith-uw8yqa company owner gets paid that. You get paid like $30 an hour
I found a company that was hiring for tower climbers. They were only gonna pay me 14 an hour, and work was not guaranteed. Maybe there is a different company that pays better. The job I'm at now sitting in an excavator all day loading trucks with trash. I'm getting 25 an hour. So definitely not gonna take that pay cut I'll be homeless. So maybe there are better paying companies out there but yeah If I can't work 6 days a week I'm not happy, need that overtime for bills.
@@JoshSmith-uw8yq No he doesn't. Those tower climbers don't get paid nearly enough.
When you're on Sprint and you want to find a signal.
and you only get one bar after.
1G speed
or worse Verizon lol
Still not tall enough to get a signal :-)
Depends where one lives. Anyone in a metro area is good to go. Had Sprint for years and never had issues at a metro area. The countryside though, that may well be a different story.
I watched this yesterday from a distance near my house. It got me to thinking how the men got up there, so that led me to this video. A hearty thank you for posting this. I had no idea about how this was done. Keep up the safe work, fellows.
To simply say “I’m OUT !” does not begin to express my sentiment. Much respect to these guys.
I climbed towers on buildings, the tops of mountains and stationary towers for the maintenance of beacon lights and aircraft lighting...In my day I only used a belt to rest half way up if I had to...Its the swaying of the tower and the feeling of freedom and danger I loved. I would go to the top, do what I had to and just enjoy the view...I can understand this kid and wish him all the luck in the world...I would be enjoying the view and a bird would land next me...We looked at each other and I understood why I did it...
So jealous. Such a great view and you get paid to change a light bulb.
I had a tower growing up, and the one thing I bought right away was a fall protection suit. A kid in town lost her father in an industrial accident (not tower related) when he fell.
I remember touring a CaseIH factory and the banner leading to the manufacturing area said "The fastest way to an accident is a shortcut". Same thing when climbing.
Thanks for putting this video out there. We take for granted wireless communications but don't appreciate the risks people take with their lives to ensure those services. Likewise to the flying public as pilots need to see them at night so they don't fly into them.
Fall protection suit? Will it save u at 1700 ft?..
@@rosstempletonogskater If used correctly and anchored correctly it should. A fall is a fall.
@@abc-wv4in Got it 👍
"How to climb a 1700 foot tower, it begins with a 1600 foot elevator ride."
Damn straight!!!
That explains the bucket. I was wondering if they really just made a 1700 ft. climb with a bucket.
gear head SHIT! Up there, a hundred feet is a loooooong way man! Hell, a hundred foot climb is a long way anyway. I don't know what your thinking.
Lol 100 feet ismt that much at all. If it is, outside.
legorainbow12p Ha.. I would love to see you at 1600ft up, looking up at 100ft and saying "100 feet isin't that much". Yeah!.. piece of cake! X))
Jumping out of planes for the Army was easy peasy compared to this, I could never do this! Scared of heights? After leaving the door of the aircraft your chute opens within seconds and then we float softly to the ground. Not much fear of heights going thru my head but climbing a tower like that would scare the shit outta me. I would have to have a parachute on my back for sure!
Either way, you jumped out of an aircraft and millions look at that in awe. As a nav, I looked at men and women jumpers and thought myself lucky to have worked with them (indirectly) on C-141s and C-5s. I’d go to the back before engine start and see every face and marveled at the courage. Damn, I’m proud of those days.
I think I heard something about how fear of heights is only really happening when you’re high off the ground on things that are static and connected to the ground.
Because a plane or a helicopter are seperate from the ground and thus completely independent from whatever is happening down there. Or something like that. Because I also have no fear of heights in a plane and most people probably don’t too. However looking down a straight cliff on a mountain… that’s different
@@Icetea-2000 As a kid visiting the Empire State Building back in the 70s, I didn't want to go near the edge to look down. As an adult, I'd say I'm not afraid of heights. I'm afraid of falling. lol Something about being high up with nothing to hold onto. Did you see the video of the woman standing atop the Burj Khalifa in Dubai?
Unless you fail to drop your ruck at night. Not so easy peasy then. Oh, also not so cool with 20 knot winds.
@@Icetea-2000 wow this is so true. I never thought about it that way but you’re completely right
I did it for 30+ years. Retired 2 yrs ago. Was a notorious free climber... loved it.
HOLD FAST
STAY SAFE
Hardly staying safe just by saying hold tight lol
I know this is an old upload but I just want to say thank all of you folks who do this very dangerous but necessary work. Pleas stay safe and go home in one piece. 👍
My friend did the tower
That was pretty insane... I hope those bulbs last longer than old incandescent bulbs. Despite the safety measures, that took massive bravery. Kudos.
These are incandescent bulbs and you cant change them. That is federal law but they are heavy duty which will last a long time
Imagine going all the way up and then realising you left the light bulb at the bottom of the tower.
hahahahaha
Or the new bulb doesn't work.
stereopolice Or you drop it
SkateDelMar Oh yes, forgot that one.
thats why we have parachutes
All that trouble for one single lightbulb. Why didn't they design it so that it would have slot for like 4 different lightbulbs, so when the one dies they can just switch to another one. They would have to do this less often then.
One line because you're only using one bulb at a time...no extra needed. The assembly for four would be the problem, you don't want it too heavy or blocky.
The circuit could be built into the four light assembly. With today's electronics that would be nothing. When it senses the current bulb is out, it switches to the next in the series. No "thousands of feet" of extra feet of expensive cable needed. Just one supply line for the bulb that would be lit at any given time.
BLACK MAGICK how about a LED?
Sounds good to me. I'm sure it could be made to produce at least if not more of the the same light output in lumens at far less cost in electricity but likely a higher cost initially. But then it would conceivable outlast any other type bulb as well so in the end nothing but win win.
Or install the Fiber Optics Cable with a Multi Faceted Crystal at the top like some towers in Europe have.
I was compelled to watch this even though every nightmare where I've ever fallen off of anything at all has been triggered in the waking hours. Thank you kind soul
The sensation in my hands and feet while watching this!!!! HATS off to you guys for doing this.
What a nightmare. Every time I watch this my hands sweat.
Lol. Same here. Funny thing is, I've worked at height before (not ridiculous heights like towers though) and never did get over that feeling. I always thought that if I did it enough it would get easier and it just didnt happen. My hands are literally sweating right now just watching someone else climb those pegs at 1700 feet.
Chi
I’ll never complain about my job ever.
I couldn't even do the elevator ride.. Total respect for anyone that does this, super cool!
Respect for these guy's, and the crews that put these towers together ❤
Perfect climb, and perfect music. That is how my heart would sound in my ears
I have a hard time getting on a steps tool let alone anything of this magnitude! Mad respect to you and your crew!
it must inspire confidence when you see the rusty, crumbling metal all over the tower
Or decaying fiberglass pegs!
Or old ass bird shit all over the place
Well, towers this big are HEAVILY inspected by the FCC, any sign of rust and that section will be replaced
@@norms3913 I don’t think birds even care to go that high.
@@nico8587d hahaha birds have no height limitations i been up in the mountains and they are taller then this tower and I seen birds up in the mountains
Absolutely frightening. I really hope you boys make at least 250k per year. You deserve it. Incredible video.
They work for 25-40 n hour
I don't care how safe it is, you couldn't pay me enough
Ashton George Yeah, and you need like no college experience, just a few years of apprenticeship.
Yeah, even then.
+UsernameUser you gotta have guts to do this job. it pays like 1000$ a week in most states.
C3PO's Bottom Bit Shiiiiiit
UsernameUser I know right! I think they need to hire some of these free climbers that they are ticketing for climbing these things illegally! Give em a job instead of vilifying them in my opinion
+C3PO's Bottom Bit a lot of ex military like paratroopers do this shit. I have a friend that repairs antennas lime this. he was a paratrooper. I guess if you can hurl yourself out of a plane at 10k ft with nothing but a dinky parachute then this would nothing.
The safety measures taken here are on a par with those who handle unexploded ammo or who work on live high voltage power like I did for three years. In that three years, I took mandatory Electrical Safety Refresher Courses that were administered by my supervisor and the practices thereof enforced at the individual level by peers. We took them every 3 to 4 months. The other aspect of tower climbers that we must appreciate is the fact those towers are designed and tested by engineers.....every single piece down to the nuts and bolts. After doing a ground inspection, a walk around and looking for potential structural issues, the tower man can climb with confidence. Great video!
What amazes me is that you were able to fit two guys and everything you needed in that small elevator.
We used to have very similar light hosings on the LORAN towers I used to climb for the USCG. Man I loved being able to look at the world with that perspective! Good on ya gents for showing people the right and safe way to climb. It doesn't really take that much extra time and it is worth it every time!!
Every time he reaches for the belt to move it my hands sweat and my legs shake. I could never in my life do this. These guys have my 100% admiration and respect and I'm a war veteran...
Interesting how we all have different fears, I bet these guys would shit it in a war zone!
I, however, would be bricking it in both jobs! 🙈🤣
Why don't you act like a man! What a puss💪😤
Mine too. Thank you for your service, btw. God bless you and these climbers.
How many balls does it take to change a lightbulb?
+Jonah Meyer Just two, about six tons each.
+DeltaLou lol
Just one less than Chuck Norris
two that have their own gravitational pull!
Two tough ones.
Joe: Hey Bill.
Me: What.
Joe: Pass me the light bulb bro.
Me: What light bulb
Joe: ......
***** OMG...LMAO !!!!!!!
Lol u took the comment from scariest video in the name of science
Pizza
its plagurization
jay da playa U mad?
Could you imagine climbing all the way to the top and accidentally drop the new bulb when trying to screw it in?
And here I am sat in my room in darkness because I can't be bothered to reach up and change my lightbulb...
+UKRider the struggle is real
my excuse is i don't want to buy a step latter
You're such a badass. I get sick to my stomach just watching this. Mad respect.
Watching this reminded me of my childhood days. At 12 years old me and my cousins used to climb up a 50 foot tower and with no safety gear on. I guess we didn't have fear of heights then. But fast forward to 2002 I was working on a cooling tower in Los Angeles and I was using a fall protection I fell when the big wrench I was using to tighten up the bolts on the large cooling fan motor slipped and I lost my footing and fell. That fall protection device saved my life. I fell like a pendulum and my knee hit the cross member. I was injured by bruising my knee but I didn't fall 20 feet below to get killed. Fall protection devices work. Later on I became a journeyman carpenter and we utilized fall protection device all the time. Although I feared being over four stories high I trusted my fall protection because I remember being saved by it in Los Angeles California. It just takes one slip to fall off even your shoe can slip
My legs are shaking watching this. Huge respect to these brave men. 👏
I can't even climb a freakin step ladder to change a light bulb
Or if he loses the bulb and it falls to the ground
Rory Snow I know exactly where your pic's from lmao! I'm off to watch that video again XD
Rory Snow Lol, me either.
cant even wear my girlfriends high heel before getting dizzy
Yeah that was 1500 feet more than my stomach can handle. Nerves of steel, damn good professional!
Ive always wanted to see the coming back down part, Im no professional climber, but I have climbed huge things in the past, and getting down was always the scariest.
It's fun I do it for a living..
Yep, I'd get up there, look down and freak out!
Would it be possible to parachute down?
@@DarthVader1977 That's what im saying that's base jump height lol.
@@DarthVader1977 Possible yes, extremely dangerous? YES. The guy-wires all around the tower will make for a very narrow 'window' to make it safely back down to earth. When there are 3 guywires around the tower, they are separated 120 degrees apart. That's not much room for error.
I have the utmost respect for these men who take on a job that most won't. Unfortunately you have those thrill seekers that in no way represent this industry. God bless these brave men and women who brave the heights and elements to do an incredibly dangerous job.
I could not imagine doing this job , even watching other people do it makes me sweat
Thanks for serving our country!!!
One light bulb at a time. Haha...
Thank you for the video and for you support of proper safety practices. As a former sales rep in the safety industry, protecting workers' health and welfare in the work area is something dear to me. In your profession the need for safety equipment is obvious but there are many workspaces that have unrecognized dangers for the worker. Safety in the workplace is the right pf every worker not just those in the most obvious dangerous professions.
Probably should switch over to LED soon.
Keith Soderlund no
LED's die also & are more expensive.
@@BobSmith-mc7uq Hi Bob, I'm a private pilot and I don't even go on a latter when I don't have
Have to. Thanks for the comment. Stay safe my friend
Bob Smith but they take 21 or 22 years to die
Some towers use leds I think
My knees start shakin' just watching this.
Watching the 300" tower climbs like it was all good, then saw this and kinda got nauseous for a second. This is a respectable job for sure. Good to see people like this not only doing the job but also taking the security/safety aspect of it seriously.
When I was a kid (some >50 years ago) my dad took me out to watch an old buddy of his change the light bulb on the top of the KVLY Fargo, ND antenna tower at 2,063'. This was the highest antenna tower on record for many years. The transmitter engineer grabbed two bulbs (an extra in case one was bad or got broke) and took off up the tower. No elevator. He was up around 200' and he slid down the ladder back to the ground. At first we thought he was falling, but he was just 'slipping the outside of the ladder rails with his boots. He walked over to his truck and said "Forgot my gloves." and took off back up the tower. It took quite a while for him to get to the top. I had binoculars and could just see him. When he was done, coming down he slipped the 20' sections at almost free fall speeds. If we hadn't seen him do that the first time around, we'd have thought he was falling. How much did he get for the climb? It was just part of the transmitter engineer's job, no extra pay. (The transmitter was at the tower base.) Safety gear? A hard hat, gloves, and a pair of Redwing boots.
These were the days before my time. I wanted to plant trees during the summer. They wanted me to have a hard hat and safety boots... Yes for tree planting.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
That's one of the most badass things I've ever heard.
You do it right and do it safely the first and every time after that. I did this for the US Air Force for 24 years and never lost, forgot a bulb or
climbed the wrong tower, but I do have to say, "IT IS SCARY AS HELL" just dont freeze, you have to come back down. LOL
Anyone else's palms sweaty after watching?! Holy shit. That's crazy. Yall are friggen nuts! So awesome fellas!
Safest climb I’ve ever seen for an antenna most just put their hooks on the peg ladder this is to smart with the rap around harness
It takes a particular breed of person to do work like this...
I’m trying to figure out what type of breed it is? Insane
@@rosstempletonogskater no, not insane. A different kind. Somewhere between ballsy and daring. Or both at the same time.
Mountain climbers off season
I'm going with confidence and fearless!
@@rosstempletonogskater a breed that likes a fun, job and great views.
Respect to these guys. Absolute balls of steel.
I know a few Russians who would do this for FREE. Only catch is, they won't wear the safety gear lol
JonP227GT a lot of them are dead now
JonP227GT 69th like
I watched this video when it came out in 2013, month before I started climbing towers. I was wondering if I have what it takes to climb a mere 40m tower, let alone 500m ones.
Turned out I had it, and my conclusion after those years is this - the worst thing that happens every time is getting up there, doing the task and realising you're only halfway done. Because you still have to safely go back down. ;)
How quickly did you manage to get comfortable up there? I've climbed a few towers I was not supposed to and always scared myself good when I got to the top, got too focused on the climb and didn't realize how high I was.
@@tenmil1 dunno, I've had to climb a lot of different types towers and stacks to get comfortable. You know, some towers are similar but then again there exist different models and each one is a bit different to get to. But after a while I've seen most of them, so I knew what to expect. ;)
If I got all the way up there at all I'd drop the bulb
Nope. You're lying.
@@ol_smokey9370 you'd forget to take it with you. :P
Really insane. Nice to see that you are trying to protect yourselves for a a change. Seen too many videos without any safety gear.
God: what are you doing here
Me: just changing a light bulb
Best comment! 🤣
@@ashotofmercury haha thanks bro
@@JCMDRHProductions I'm a woman but no worries! 🙈🤣
What a view! These guys have an amazing job!
I'm already struggling to change a lightbulb in my car - let alone at those altitudes!!
Awesome job, guys ...
🙏
My ball are in my ears,hearts in the throat and my sphincter is so tight that I am in pain!
I think I'd be more nervous about the climb back down, something about relying on your foot to find the next peg, and working with gravity, as opposed to against it on the way up, seems more stressful
Climbing a tree as a kid was easy, getting back down, not so much.
Not much to be nervous about when you are 100% tied off. The guys in the original video made me nervous. But I have to say, after climbing a few cell towers required in my training, using those damn lobster claws will wear your hands out a hell of a lot faster than just free climbing the damn thing. In an emergency situation, I can’t say I’m not gonna hang those things on my belt once the safety officer can’t reach me. I’ll take the reprimand to save a life. If I fall, I’ll be dead anyway and won’t be minding too much.
Downclimbing is much easier than going up
@@grumpygeorgehow can you possibly save someone in an emergency situation? Surely there is no prospect of recovery unless you use a helicopter or something
Thanks for posting! I love the music, too! This is like an action video for me. Lots of respect for the people who do this work.
I would not even ride in that elevator, under any circumstances.
This made my feet sweat.
Big respect for everyone that works in those industries
Anybody that does this kind of work for a living has to be bat shit crazy! I could not even watch the video when he was climbing to the antenna and looking up and down!
You get used to it great way to stay in shape I actually was an office worker and gained lot of weight friend of mine starting a tower service. Got into shape never looked back working indoors just makes you fat and lazy
Most of them are crazy.. but one thing about it, when your out on the town and something happens at the bar, we all become 1 no matter how much u dont care for the guy at work you always have his back.. it's just 1 big family..
oh Hell naw!...My Fat ass is staying on the ground!
😂😂😂
Gary Morton Hahaha, just looking at it scares the hell out of me.
Expensive light bulb change right there!
Try changing a mast head light on a destroyer or cruiser in rough seas
You would have to drag me ,kicking and screaming, just to get into the elevator...
I have nightmares awake--don't have to sleep--when watching this video. I can recall a climber who scaled a tower near Yankton, South Dakota in the mid-1960s and people were invited to watch. When he neared the top, to change out clearance and obstruction lighting, his belt broke, he slipped and in front of a small audience of people on the ground fell a thousand feet. No one in the audience ever forgot that event. You couldn't pay me millions of dollars to do this. Being in the telephone industry, I once asked a cell phone tower climber what they paid for the mid-range high towers and he said, "Around a thousand dollars per climb."
Could you imagine having a panic attack when your up there.
...and here I am complaining, when I have to use a chair to change a high ceiling bulb in my house hahaha
Well, you probably don't have the proper safety measures taken to prevent a fall.
Dondrey Taylor Statistically more people probably die standing on chairs than climbing these towers with a harness. Probably, not sure.
I ain't falling because I ain't getting up there! Best way to prevent a fall I know!!!!!!
you are probably right
You could send me up in the elevator and years later you could pick my skeleton off the top of the tower. I would freeze like stone at even the thought of going up the elevator. These men deserve about $1,000 per hour for changing the bulb, as one person suggested, why didn't they place 4 bulbs up there to turn on consecutively when they burn out. You guys have enormous family jewels or had to be smoking really good weed prior to your venture. Someone has to do it. THANK YOU.
Thanks for posting your hard working ability...im particularly glad you showed the glass globe cover that myself and fellow brothers and sisters in the union manufacturers by hand🇺🇸👍👍
" bye i'm off to work, i might see you later "
My palms got sweaty watching this video. Anyone else with sweaty palms?
+SanFranciscoBay Nope. I just get a really funny feeling in my toes.
They got gloves
I'm sure it probably wasn't too hot outside.
+SanFranciscoBay His palms are sweaty, moms spaghetti..
+Mod Nagant his palms are sweaty,knees weak,arms are heavy,there's vomit on his sweater already-moms spaghetti.
my knees shook just watching the vid. i dont do heights well. God bless you guys! STAY SAFE!!!!
I don't care how safe it is. I couldn't do this. Feel sick having watched the video, pretty much to the same extent that I did with the original a few years ago.
Why not parachute down after the job?
*****
Actually, you are correct my friend!
It must take balls of steel to do that job.
I was only joking about parachuting :-)
+Tulsatom Bob Plus that's just more weight to carry up 1700 feet.
Welder Nate
Actually, when I made that comment, I was joking. Just jesting my friend. Thanks for the explanation.
+Tulsatom Bob IKR I honestly would! 2x the fun right? Parachutes dont weigh THAT much more.
+Tulsatom Bob Because wind might push them against the tower. That is why base jumping from buildings is dangerous.
Old Army Signal Corps 36D20 Towerman here.
I used to work for the man that had the contract for WTBS in Atlanta.
I've been up that thing in the 70s 2 times with no silly safety straps except for tiring off to take a break or change a light bulb or remove a college banner.
It was about 1050 feet tall the tallest I ever climbed.
That safety crap is scary and could cause a slide. I cant remember which tower in Atlanta had a mast like this but nope, just climbed like a telephone pole and tied off to rest or enjoy the view.
But I never fell or slipped. Hell even painting WSBs tower we hung the bucket off our belt, had the car wash Mitt as a paint brush and start at the top and work our way down hanging on with one hand while grabbing a section and running the mit along it and then bending over or under to be sure we didnt miss anything and kept going until on the ground.
Kids today would shit themselves if they went that way today!
What if the new bulb broke during the trip.
You guys make I hope $30 or more an hour, looks instresteng actually. God Speed and BE SAFE Todd and crew.
$30 an hour I wouldnt even do it for a thousand an hour
$30 an hour I wouldnt even do it for a thousand an hour
Hourly wage for this job? Don't be silly. Salaried or not at all.
Jean Kirschtein I wouldn't do it for anything
I wouldn't either. I can handle the height, but the minimal safety and risk of falling is enough for me to say "Fuck that." I'll stick to an IT career, thanks.
I like the personal on top camera very much, you can see how much power you need to get up😮
man them Russians would be up there in nothing but gym shorts doing pull ups and back flips.
Pat Goslin LOL!
Yeah but they never film the ones that fall
Those Russians are dying a lot now and those wingmen suits are getting some good natural se
Ection numbers as well
Hell yeahs
Yeah after a few swings of vodka...
They don't pay a good tower man enough money...they can't . In my opinion there aint that much money.
I watched a bunch of young tower climbers on a job in South Carolina on a freezing cold night on a iced up 220 foot tower , pitch black after midnight dark, and not an emergency.
climb that sucker because they had to do hot cuts on off hours.
Never been so glad to see 4 kids get back on the ground safely in my life. Damn company should have been fined and their supervisor put in jail.
All I could think about for 4 hours was one of those kids coming through the roof of the shelter or hearing them hit the pavement outside.
Dude. I've seen some sketchy stuff as well. 150 ft climb in a blizzard. Wind-chill temps in the -20s and worse. No visibility of climber above 60ft.
They chose that job didn't they? Why should the supervisor be put in prison for lending a job to someone who is willing to do it?
@@ludvig4752 you don't typically choose to do things incorrectly or unsafely in the climbing Industry. I hang billboards and the max I go up is 200ft, though you can die just as easily from 15ft. They will preach safety to you and leave boards without cables, or any way to stay hooked up 100%. Yet you can will receive a 5 day suspension if you are caught not hooked up, and then fired the next time. The pay I make is good enough to overlook this fact, however that doesn't change the responsibility of the employer to keep their end of your safety as a priority over any work order. Not sure what you do for a living, but if you don't work in a hazard Industry you have no idea the frustration we face to be told to hook up 100% of the time and then it be impossible AND THEN be punished when you're caught unable to hook up.
@@devonschevers4056 That's seems to be a problem but not really that relevant to this scenario. The first commenter seems to be angry that people should even climb that high whereas my point is that people should if they make that career choice. I do though agree with you that that type of policy seems very stupid and you should be able to argue yourself out from a ban/to be fired.
All because they don't want to turn them off during the day.
I'm starting to get a heart attack from the music - don't think I cut out for this kind of work!
I know it's safe in theory but I can't convince myself of it.
There is no amount of money....
These guys are doing this for less than 30.00/ hour. Been there back when the pay was $8.00/hour in 1984 when there were no jobs. hunger will make you do anything
Jonesing1000 ya the hourly wage to start in Minnesota is $18/hr. For tower climbers.
Jonesing1000 The light bulb in the over head garage door opener is burned out and I have a hard time doing ladders to reach up 9', so the garage is still dark. I think I'd be dead from starvation before doing this for 8/hr or even 30/hr. You're a better man than I am.
PaiNExoTiC I wear glasses with prisms in the lenses to correct an astigmatism in each eye AND have a hard time with steps because I also have bifocals so I can read and work. The guys that do this work are better than I.
Jonesing1000 In Australia they would be getting no less than 30-35 an hour Source: I'm a Linesman and I only towers and poles around 200 ft and I am on 33 an hour
Been there done that. With and without proper safety. Equipment Best job I ever had. Total freedom driving and staying all over Texas Louisiana Arkansas totally awesome. Until devastating shoulder injury.
youd think they had some high tech space age light bulbs up there...
I worked in the tower industry for 12 years before they had the safety climb cables attached the the ladders and mono ploles....things have changed a lot since then ,but I really enjoyed free climbing , and once I stopped moving I always hooked off , it was less of a and less tiring to me....when they started telling me how I should climb " the people who've never climbed higher than a step ladder " I quit. and I guarantee you that the 100% hook off rule is broken in that industry every day......no disrespect intended. everyone has there own style of climbing it should be a choice on a rule.
Looks like the top antenna needs replacing or repairing. The side panels are rusted out badly. Back in 1984 I climbed a 50 foot tower that was being used as an antenna tower for a home. It was a few blocks off of the beach. I couldn't get that thing to separate so I had to dig the concrete base up and tip it over and then take it apart. They had put a lot of concrete in that hole they had dug.
funny if they climbed to the top and then realised they forgot the bulb
lol
+Matthew Winning lol
+Matthew Winning Or if they dropped it!
+Roga McBea or if they dropped one little screw
+Matthew Winning thats something I would of done lol
2826 comments. 2700 of them “Forgot the bulb” lame ass jokes.
and those 'balls of steel' jokes...boring! otherwise a great video
Don't forget the 'oops, phillips screwdriver' tards
Omg no…. I’m watching this through squinted eyes. You guys are fearless.
Bad time to realize those laxatives are about to kick in!