Helicopter crews who like powerlines

There must be something wrong with my helicopter pilot brain, because I think that would be some challenging and enjoyable work!
 
This is amazing and incredible. However, this is insane and power lines are the devil and I will stay as far away from them as I can. More power to them.

Great videos.
 
I had the chance to talk to one of these pilots when I was in GA a few years ago. He wore a chainmail outfit over his flight suit. He told me that when the helicopter is "attached" to the powerline, the electricity "pulses" around his body. He said his entire body would feel like the tingling one gets when your foot goes to sleep. He told me it was a great job, lots of flight hours, and paid well!

More power to him!! :D

P.S I would think all that steel in his shorts would cause him problems....
 
I met a couple of these guys last year somewhere in PA. Had a great chat about their job and what/how they do it. Then I looked around and asked them where their helicopter was parked? Their response, 'In an open field about 5 miles away, we had a transmission issue and had to set her down and take a cab back here to the airport'. :eek:

Seems crazy, but awesome at the same time!
 
Mark815 said:
I met a couple of these guys last year somewhere in PA. Had a great chat about their job and what/how they do it. Then I looked around and asked them where their helicopter was parked? Their response, 'In an open field about 5 miles away, we had a transmission issue and had to set her down and take a cab back here to the airport'. :eek:

Seems crazy, but awesome at the same time!
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Precautionary landings or PL's are quite common in the helo world. I've received some strange looks from people when I take a jacket and lots of water on a flight in AZ in the summer. When it's 110 degrees during the day, 80 degrees feels cold at night, and you can NEVER have too much water out here. Thus far I haven't spent a night in the desert. *knocks on wood* But I've had to land, shut down, and inspect a few times.
 
My class alone has had 3 PL's in the last 2weeks.

All the spinning parts on helicopters need to stay spinning.
 
The Fez said:
Precautionary landings or PL's are quite common in the helo world.
Click to expand...

When I was turning wrenches on helos in the Marine Corps I spoke to a pilot who had to do an auto just outside Tustin. They got a chip light or some other warning that required an immediate PL. They were within spitting distance of Tustin's runways and briefly considered stretching it to the airfield, but decided to put it down ASAP and get it checked out.

Good thing they did. When they pulled the chip detector they found the transmission was trashed. Sikorsky said that it was likely that it would have failed in the next five minutes of powered flight. They wouldn't have made to the runway.

Don't know if that's an accurate story, but it taught me the lesson that when the book says "Imediate" they really mean it.
 
I had a PL once for a tail rotor chip light; smoke was pouring from the tail. When I landed in a wheat field, the farmer came over just as we were piling out of the aircraft.
"Who's going to pay for this wheat?" was the first thing he said.
"No, we're fine thank you so much for your concern!" was my first and only response to him.

Asshat!
 
dustoff17 said:
I had a PL once for a tail rotor chip light; smoke was pouring from the tail. When I landed in a wheat field, the farmer came over just as we were piling out of the aircraft.
"Who's going to pay for this wheat?" was the first thing he said.
"No, we're fine thank you so much for your concern!" was my first and only response to him.

Asshat!
Click to expand...

So who paid for the damaged crops?


<Ducks>
 
USMCmech said:
When I was turning wrenches on helos in the Marine Corps I spoke to a pilot who had to do an auto just outside Tustin. They got a chip light or some other warning that required an immediate PL. They were within spitting distance of Tustin's runways and briefly considered stretching it to the airfield, but decided to put it down ASAP and get it checked out.

Good thing they did. When they pulled the chip detector they found the transmission was trashed. Sikorsky said that it was likely that it would have failed in the next five minutes of powered flight. They wouldn't have made to the runway.

Don't know if that's an accurate story, but it taught me the lesson that when the book says "Imediate" they really mean it.
Click to expand...
Chip lights are no joke. Thankfully I only had one back in the Huey, but it was in the main transmission sump and I was in the jump seat, so I was truly a passenger. Not a good feeling.

What amazed me when learning to instruct in the R-22/44, was that a chip light is merely a "land as soon as practical" unless accompanied by noise, vibes, etc. When I asked the chief pilot how often they get chip lights he said they were somewhat common. Haven't had one yet, but I don't see myself overflying any landing spot just to get the bird to an airport.

Chip lights are the devil!
 
dustoff17 said:
I had the chance to talk to one of these pilots when I was in GA a few years ago. He wore a chainmail outfit over his flight suit. He told me that when the helicopter is "attached" to the powerline, the electricity "pulses" around his body. He said his entire body would feel like the tingling one gets when your foot goes to sleep. He told me it was a great job, lots of flight hours, and paid well!

More power to him!! :D

P.S I would think all that steel in his shorts would cause him problems....
Click to expand...

Those are actually brass...much less conductive
 
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