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
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.
@Mozart2Vienna The discharge is from corona effects. The voltage is leaking off into the air all along the line. But, if you bring a sharp edge into the corona field, the charge will accumulate there and make the arc you see. Since the helicopter and man have loads of sharp edges and a large surface area, they present a nice low impedance path and you get an arc at the point of contact. The corona is responsible for all sorts of wierd effects.
@Mozart2Vienna its simple when they approach the line they stick the rod out ao it energizes the helicopter. if they didnt it could arch and knock the helicopter out of the sky and when the helicopter leavs they do the same thing.
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...
So all those 3 wires have to be at the same voltage, right? He can't touch anything at a different voltage or the electricity will use him as a wire, is that correct? I'm not sure how this works.
We are walking on one 'bundled' conductor - those three wires we're on are essentially'one wire, all at the same potential. To reach out to another set of bundled conductor wire, or a source to ground, would create a difference in potential and quite likely fatal mistake.
@FlyingLineman Correct you would be out of phase (now your talking getting into phase angles) and it could create some serious problems, you just have bundled conductors for carrying more current
I hope these guys are paid for this job accordingly (millionaires at bare minimum), because if they aren't, there's something seriously wrong with this world
Thank you - sorry, there is something very wrong with our world. Bankers get rich doing nothing but legally stealing our money, those who work for a living loose their homes and can't afford health care, all-you-can-eat buffets exist while most of the world starves and the Government sits back and puts on a charade to make it seem like they actually care... wrong, wrong, wrong.
@FlyingLineman The men you see in this video pay the way for the world to go around and we get shit on by management and treated as if we arent really important while were the ones completing the work...
@MyCatEatsLettuce hahahaha well said, i deal with up to 500 KV every day in my job doing live line work and everything, it may seem very dangerous but we do everything extremely safe and manipulate the electricity if you will by taking advantage of its principles, ie such as bonding and insulating materials...
Let's see--what does the job ad say for this position? = Electrician wanted--work in high places. Fly by helicopter to location and wire walk to your destination service call. Able to stay focused on job at hand while using high voltage live wire as your lifeline and not to look down at hundreds of feet of air. Sudden restroom calls; emergencies or Coffee breaks discouraged. Drop a tool--better have a spare on hand. Perks: Plenty of fresh air and sunshine.
look up faraday cage or faraday suit in wikipedia, but basicly the guy wears a splecial suit with metal fibers that creata the "cage" this cage redistributes the charge making it null itself making the inside of the suit safe.
To try and make it easier to undrstand even if not precise, imagine that you half 10 coulombs (charge) going 1 way and -10 coulombs going the other way, the result would be 10-10 = 0 coulombs or no charge at all.
@paladinee I would have thought that the electricity would go through the suit, but not you, but then the suit would get very hot pretty much instantly. I guess not!
@eclipser2004 Why? your in constant contact with thousands of volts, even if you dont realise it. A rug can house hundreds , literatly, of volts due to static electricity but that alone is not going to kill you.
Estos hombres si son de verdad heroes anonimos. Son quienes nos permiten tener a la mano este servicio gracias a su trabajo; yo personalmente no lo haria.........xD
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!
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.
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.
@FlyingLineman - one last question. I know the voltages of these lines are usually 250-500kV.... on average, how much current would you expect to be running through each phase?
sorry, can't answer that. referring to Ohm's law, I=V/R (current equals voltage divided by resistance) would yield an answer - which would be (slightly, somewhat) different for the multitude of different conductor wires, different coefficients of resistance, now in use across the transmission grid. Sorry I can't be of more help. If you looked up on a table the resistance of specific wire, a constant in the equation, you'd easily be able to get a rough calculation of current.
@jdallen75 Transmission conductors don't carry as much current when compared to distribution conductors. But probably still enough to kill you if it passes through your heart. As for a range of what the current might fall in, it would depend on the system, voltage, conductor type, distance etc etc
@jdallen75 Hi, certainly I´m not an expert, but it depends on the load the line is "feeding" and its power factor. Now, from my Power System Analysis lessons, I´ve learned that the current through each phase is equal to the total 3-phase power (in VA) divided by three times the 1-phase voltage, (line to neutral). For example if you are talking about a 220 kV L-L you would have 127 kV L-N, and a given load of, let´s say 381 MVA and a 0.8 p.f. (lag) we would have 1 kA.
@FlyingLineman - cool video. Didn't know about the charging of the helicopter - interesting stuff! Question maybe you can answer: when you look at high-voltage lines, they are separated from the towers by a dozen or so presumably ceramic insulators. How come when it rains - there isn't some point that the water cascading over the insulators doesn't ground the live line to the grounded tower? Thanks!
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 ).
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.
@FlyingLineman I guess I can see that - even a momentary 'grounding' circuit vapourizes only instantly, so you might not even "see" it in a heavy downpour. Thanks...
@FlyingLineman My understanding was that only "pure" (in most cases, distilled) water was a non-conductor. Our drinking water, and rain water for that matter, I believed had enough impurities and elements to make in conductive?
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.
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 don't understand how the helicopter conducts electricity? surely it's the same principles as a bird flying onto the wire, as the helicopter has no connection to earth! so when you see the arc going to the helicopter, where is the electricity going?
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.
ok, thanks, I understand now, so, say a bird approaching a 400KV line at a 0V potential, I'm assuming the raising of the birds potential is going to fry it?!?!?!
When a bird lands on the wire, yest it does 'energize' to the potential of the wire - you will never see a bird sitting on an energized transmission voltage line. The EM field (electro-magnetic) is way too strong; the birds can feel it as they fly close and will veer off. If a brave, hypothetical bird did have the notion to plunge in anyway, yes, this bird would draw some amount of arc and would suffer some degree of burning.
When a bird lands on the wire, yest it does 'energize' to the potential of the wire - you will never see a bird sitting on an energized transmission voltage line. The EM field (electro-magnetic) is way too strong; the birds can feel it as they fly close and will veer off. If a brave, hypothetical bird did have the notion to plunge in anyway, yes, this bird would draw some amount of arc and would suffer some degree of burning.
Our hypothetical bird, plunging through the intense field will become energized and could suffer some degree of burning. This flash-burn, however, is nothing compared to a phase-ground fault; where the electricity finds a path to ground. Another scenario is the phase to phase fault. For example, a bird with large wing span flying between two energized phases, or wires. These two conditions, phase-ground or phase-phase, would indeed fry the birdie like bacon left in the pan too long.
ok, so how can our linesman sit across the phases in their metal farraday suits, creating a dead short between phases without it going bang, if a bird would short them out? thank you for you detailed answers, they are much appreciated.
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.
like the person commented above, you won't see birds sitting on the high voltage, transmission wires - the field is way to strong for them (yes, you can actually 'feel' this field as you approach it.) The fields we're entering, the potentials we're bridging, as high enough to draw arcs and require a Faraday suit to protect against flash burns.
Wow.. That should really be done from the other side so the tailrotor would be on the other side of the boom away from the cables. The tail was quite near cables for a while there.. But respect from me. That's difficult flying!
@Gizmologist09 Wouldn't it be easier for him to see the lineman and the wand if he had used more left pedal, and at the same time get the tail rotor further from the line? Seemed to me that the tail rotor was closer to the line than I would've liked if I was the pilot. But that's me. I'm currently training to be a professional pilot and of course I'm over average interested in safety during helicopter operations.
@Trruckker I'll take a crack at that one... the helicopter pilot is flying with or without the gages? the important question is: does the chopper actually become energized to .... 500kv? the answer is NO. furthermore, my question is: why... if all things being equal would the pilot off-load his linemen on the real tail rotor side? hmmm? ... it looks needlessly close... i'm just saying:(
yea, and not to mention the effects of gravity! :)
Would I purchase a home with a transmission r.o.w through my backyard? No way. Is our exposure a significant health risk? Well, so far, nothing has been conclusively proven.
Now, I'm on a rant. I also recently watched a the making of a movie in which one of the actors, who was paid 15 million dollars (Source IMDB) plus a percentage of the gross, not net but GROSS, describing acting in the rain as. ",.. the hardest thing I've ever done."
Funny, just a few minutes ago I was just watching a video about a singer, I won't mention her name because she has a great number of fans, who was bragging about how brave she was to make an album in which, ".... I face myself and expose my fears and vulnerabilities. That took a lot of courage to put all that out there." Bitch, you made an album. This dude stepped from a helicopter onto a wire. Some peoples' notions of courage and heroes is seriously skewed.
And then we consider the people in the world who wake EVERY day not knowing what they will eat, how they will find water or if they will be killed for some random reason... so many others face true 'fears and vulnerabilities.'
"A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward." - Jean Paul Richter
@hilrider The odds of you meeting Jennifer Lopez are very, very slim. The odds of you meeting me are pretty good, and rather malleable. If this is your job, and we ever meet, I would be honored to buy you and your colleagues supper. You make our lives possible. Thank you.
@FlyingLineman The wand serves to gradually and gently elevate the lineman's electrical potential until it matches the voltage of the lines. Once the potentials match, then the electricity will have no effect on the lineman.
@Isthisthelongestname As above, the wire is creating a potential difference of 0v between the lines and the helicopter, if they didn't connect it would arc.
@Isthisthelongestname The arc will start up again (between the lineman/helicopter body) and continue until you get too far away. Better to let the hot stick take the arc.
@BUKUINC i make 85,000 a year flying men to oilrigs and back its a tuff schedule but i love it, also i have 4000 hours of flight time too so that increases the pay a lot
They have to be bonkers
Littlecrewmember 16 minutes ago
That tail rotor gets scary close to the line
venturadave 14 hours ago
These people make A LOT of money
Nooklet 4 days ago
Fucking rights boys. Electrical Cowboys. Linemen and Electricians are the rockstars of the trade world.
chdnelson82 1 week ago
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
pvccat1 2 weeks ago
Wow man serious props!! Not only to sit on high voltage and work but that high up too. Helicopter, all you guys thanks for keeping me with power
hotdog2020 2 weeks ago
it is ok when it approaches the wire becaus it brings in a different potential.
But can anyone explain to me why it causes a discharging light bow between the helicopter and the wire when the helicopter flies away from the wire?
It really puzzles me ~:o\
Mozart2Vienna 3 weeks ago
@Mozart2Vienna due to the high voltage differences the air gets ionized and act as a conductor.
fredpereira88 3 weeks ago
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.
FlyingLineman 3 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Mozart2Vienna The discharge is from corona effects. The voltage is leaking off into the air all along the line. But, if you bring a sharp edge into the corona field, the charge will accumulate there and make the arc you see. Since the helicopter and man have loads of sharp edges and a large surface area, they present a nice low impedance path and you get an arc at the point of contact. The corona is responsible for all sorts of wierd effects.
Serostern 1 week ago
@Mozart2Vienna its simple when they approach the line they stick the rod out ao it energizes the helicopter. if they didnt it could arch and knock the helicopter out of the sky and when the helicopter leavs they do the same thing.
gabycorrea18 8 hours ago
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...
xluisle 3 weeks ago
i literally have no words... that's fucking insane
helmsdeep48 3 weeks ago
I know there's a recession, but Fuck that!
tanner87 3 weeks ago
"JUST ANOTHER DAY AT WORK"
willyz777 4 weeks ago
I wonder who record the video??
Djduva107 1 month ago
Dammmmmmm it , I better stay at my job watxhing my boss fukn face insted this
Djduva107 1 month ago
Have a look @ my channel for a chopper that could touch the wires without a rotor strike (just a gentle bump-bounce)!
Justwantahover 1 month ago
The pilot is Hero!!
edilfc 1 month ago
Can you say.....FUCK THAT.
willsco76 1 month ago
What ever you guys are paid I'm sure it's not enough...
janmadytay 1 month ago
Awesome
TanyaScottable 1 month ago
So all those 3 wires have to be at the same voltage, right? He can't touch anything at a different voltage or the electricity will use him as a wire, is that correct? I'm not sure how this works.
eclipser2004 1 month ago
We are walking on one 'bundled' conductor - those three wires we're on are essentially'one wire, all at the same potential. To reach out to another set of bundled conductor wire, or a source to ground, would create a difference in potential and quite likely fatal mistake.
FlyingLineman 1 month ago
@FlyingLineman OK. That makes sense. I didn't know about bundled conductors. Sounds like a good, logical idea though.
eclipser2004 1 month ago
@FlyingLineman Correct you would be out of phase (now your talking getting into phase angles) and it could create some serious problems, you just have bundled conductors for carrying more current
MrsSparkesxo 2 weeks ago
Respect to those guys! I would not do it not even for 500K a year.
CanecaProductions 1 month ago
I hope these guys are paid for this job accordingly (millionaires at bare minimum), because if they aren't, there's something seriously wrong with this world
MyCatEatsLettuce 1 month ago 4
Thank you - sorry, there is something very wrong with our world. Bankers get rich doing nothing but legally stealing our money, those who work for a living loose their homes and can't afford health care, all-you-can-eat buffets exist while most of the world starves and the Government sits back and puts on a charade to make it seem like they actually care... wrong, wrong, wrong.
FlyingLineman 1 month ago 7
@FlyingLineman - i hear ya man. it's truly awful.
MyCatEatsLettuce 1 month ago
@FlyingLineman Hats off for telling it like it is.
NotAsItSeemsToBe 1 month ago
@FlyingLineman The men you see in this video pay the way for the world to go around and we get shit on by management and treated as if we arent really important while were the ones completing the work...
MrsSparkesxo 2 weeks ago
@MyCatEatsLettuce The line workers earn about 150K the pilot probably gets 30k if hes lucky =(
tbomgwtf 1 month ago 3
@MyCatEatsLettuce hahahaha well said, i deal with up to 500 KV every day in my job doing live line work and everything, it may seem very dangerous but we do everything extremely safe and manipulate the electricity if you will by taking advantage of its principles, ie such as bonding and insulating materials...
MrsSparkesxo 2 weeks ago
Nothing short of impressive. Hail to the skill and bravery of these men!!! Thank you for posting this video.
blackmayonnaise888 1 month ago
thats the best job ever !!
saknk1 1 month ago
Balls o' steel! Awesome. I bet they get paid bank too.
plutocrank 1 month ago
Let's see--what does the job ad say for this position? = Electrician wanted--work in high places. Fly by helicopter to location and wire walk to your destination service call. Able to stay focused on job at hand while using high voltage live wire as your lifeline and not to look down at hundreds of feet of air. Sudden restroom calls; emergencies or Coffee breaks discouraged. Drop a tool--better have a spare on hand. Perks: Plenty of fresh air and sunshine.
DOLRED 1 month ago
@DOLRED LOL!
CanecaProductions 1 month ago
respect, nothing else!
radoslavnikolic 1 month ago 5
Thank you!
FlyingLineman 1 month ago 2
Comment removed
budman7 1 month ago
Sorry - education does require effort.
FlyingLineman 1 month ago 2
@budman7
thats thanks to mr faraday :P
paladinee 1 month ago
@paladinee
ok. ill explain it a little more:
look up faraday cage or faraday suit in wikipedia, but basicly the guy wears a splecial suit with metal fibers that creata the "cage" this cage redistributes the charge making it null itself making the inside of the suit safe.
To try and make it easier to undrstand even if not precise, imagine that you half 10 coulombs (charge) going 1 way and -10 coulombs going the other way, the result would be 10-10 = 0 coulombs or no charge at all.
paladinee 1 month ago
@paladinee I would have thought that the electricity would go through the suit, but not you, but then the suit would get very hot pretty much instantly. I guess not!
eclipser2004 1 month ago
@eclipser2004 Why? your in constant contact with thousands of volts, even if you dont realise it. A rug can house hundreds , literatly, of volts due to static electricity but that alone is not going to kill you.
paladinee 1 month ago
@budman7 you would have to be grounded in order to be shocked. welcome to the world of electricity. no ground = you dont even feel the voltage.
ilovegoatsecks 1 month ago
balls of steel, both the linemen AND that pilot, lol kept watching that tail rotor feet from the wire and cringing!
TheGameMouse 1 month ago
Whoa not something I'd want to do...Good luck people, stay safe...
genenco1 1 month ago
@bicho28 - thank you... that's exactly the kind of estimate I was looking for!
jdallen75 2 months ago
woooo...this is amongst the most difficult job in the world...
I wonder about the pilot, he is all the time at risk... always...
7ankss 3 months ago 2
Estos hombres si son de verdad heroes anonimos. Son quienes nos permiten tener a la mano este servicio gracias a su trabajo; yo personalmente no lo haria.........xD
JACOBS431 3 months ago
THESE guys have MEGA brass ones!
BCAD01 3 months ago
@BCAD01
lets hope not they conduct lol better of with silicone ones
miloxp 3 months ago
Are there linewomen also? :)
vikaskarade 3 months ago
Women are way too smart to do anything this crazy. :)
But, yes, there are women who work the power lines, very few, but there are a few.
FlyingLineman 3 months ago
@FlyingLineman I will marry a linewomen :D
vikaskarade 3 months ago
THAT'S INTENSE!!!
lazydayhohum 3 months ago
I'm just starting in the trade and this is my goal to reach in my career.
MrEH909 4 months ago
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!
derrickgott007 4 months ago
Hey thats my friend Sparky....
jim28fl 4 months ago
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.
FlyingLineman 4 months ago
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.
FlyingLineman 5 months ago
hope they got paid well!
austadultbaby 5 months ago
thats some crazy ass shit.
Kiddeth 5 months ago
Always a H500?
Chopper894 6 months ago
Thats one hell of a pilot and these guys got balls big enough to fill a dumptruck!
Sidewinder9877 6 months ago 15
Balls of steel...
stephanewoodbury 6 months ago
What was the little stick pole they touched the helicopter with for?
CactusWolf 6 months ago
@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.
TheVessapaperimuumio 6 months ago
That would be scary without 250kv surging around you.
aForkandaSpoon 6 months ago
so cool
Nader703 6 months ago
See you in 8 1/2 hours guys!
Beefer413 7 months ago
@FlyingLineman - one last question. I know the voltages of these lines are usually 250-500kV.... on average, how much current would you expect to be running through each phase?
jdallen75 7 months ago
sorry, can't answer that. referring to Ohm's law, I=V/R (current equals voltage divided by resistance) would yield an answer - which would be (slightly, somewhat) different for the multitude of different conductor wires, different coefficients of resistance, now in use across the transmission grid. Sorry I can't be of more help. If you looked up on a table the resistance of specific wire, a constant in the equation, you'd easily be able to get a rough calculation of current.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
@FlyingLineman
Remember this is a/c so we would be talking impedance rather than the d.c equivalent value.....
specsavers44 2 months ago
@jdallen75 Transmission conductors don't carry as much current when compared to distribution conductors. But probably still enough to kill you if it passes through your heart. As for a range of what the current might fall in, it would depend on the system, voltage, conductor type, distance etc etc
moeali32 4 months ago
@jdallen75 Hi, certainly I´m not an expert, but it depends on the load the line is "feeding" and its power factor. Now, from my Power System Analysis lessons, I´ve learned that the current through each phase is equal to the total 3-phase power (in VA) divided by three times the 1-phase voltage, (line to neutral). For example if you are talking about a 220 kV L-L you would have 127 kV L-N, and a given load of, let´s say 381 MVA and a 0.8 p.f. (lag) we would have 1 kA.
bicho28 2 months ago
@FlyingLineman - cool video. Didn't know about the charging of the helicopter - interesting stuff! Question maybe you can answer: when you look at high-voltage lines, they are separated from the towers by a dozen or so presumably ceramic insulators. How come when it rains - there isn't some point that the water cascading over the insulators doesn't ground the live line to the grounded tower? Thanks!
jdallen75 7 months ago
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 ).
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
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.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
@FlyingLineman I guess I can see that - even a momentary 'grounding' circuit vapourizes only instantly, so you might not even "see" it in a heavy downpour. Thanks...
jdallen75 7 months ago
@FlyingLineman My understanding was that only "pure" (in most cases, distilled) water was a non-conductor. Our drinking water, and rain water for that matter, I believed had enough impurities and elements to make in conductive?
jdallen75 7 months ago
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.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
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.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
Chuck Norris says, "Fuck that."
azimuth361 7 months ago
i don't understand how the helicopter conducts electricity? surely it's the same principles as a bird flying onto the wire, as the helicopter has no connection to earth! so when you see the arc going to the helicopter, where is the electricity going?
bigwormthedon 7 months ago
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.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
@FlyingLineman
ok, thanks, I understand now, so, say a bird approaching a 400KV line at a 0V potential, I'm assuming the raising of the birds potential is going to fry it?!?!?!
bigwormthedon 7 months ago
When a bird lands on the wire, yest it does 'energize' to the potential of the wire - you will never see a bird sitting on an energized transmission voltage line. The EM field (electro-magnetic) is way too strong; the birds can feel it as they fly close and will veer off. If a brave, hypothetical bird did have the notion to plunge in anyway, yes, this bird would draw some amount of arc and would suffer some degree of burning.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
When a bird lands on the wire, yest it does 'energize' to the potential of the wire - you will never see a bird sitting on an energized transmission voltage line. The EM field (electro-magnetic) is way too strong; the birds can feel it as they fly close and will veer off. If a brave, hypothetical bird did have the notion to plunge in anyway, yes, this bird would draw some amount of arc and would suffer some degree of burning.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
Our hypothetical bird, plunging through the intense field will become energized and could suffer some degree of burning. This flash-burn, however, is nothing compared to a phase-ground fault; where the electricity finds a path to ground. Another scenario is the phase to phase fault. For example, a bird with large wing span flying between two energized phases, or wires. These two conditions, phase-ground or phase-phase, would indeed fry the birdie like bacon left in the pan too long.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
@FlyingLineman
ok, so how can our linesman sit across the phases in their metal farraday suits, creating a dead short between phases without it going bang, if a bird would short them out? thank you for you detailed answers, they are much appreciated.
bigwormthedon 7 months ago
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.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
Elmardus- u don't see birds on transmission lines!!! Much higher voltage range!
lineman2323 7 months ago
it's stuff like this i hope i never have to do against my own will. i'd shit my suit and cause an arc to form between the line and my ass
blockfrenzydude 7 months ago 8
@blockfrenzydude
hahahaha.... that genuinely made me laugh out loud!
bigwormthedon 7 months ago
pilot makes it look easy :3
aval1998 7 months ago
WOW! But why do they wear such a faraday metal suit? Because birds can also sit on power lines without a metal suit....
elmardus 7 months ago
like the person commented above, you won't see birds sitting on the high voltage, transmission wires - the field is way to strong for them (yes, you can actually 'feel' this field as you approach it.) The fields we're entering, the potentials we're bridging, as high enough to draw arcs and require a Faraday suit to protect against flash burns.
FlyingLineman 7 months ago
Cool
millerlightening 8 months ago
日本では充電された電路にヘリコプターにて接触する、このような工法は絶対にあり得ないです。
icb776477 8 months ago
i would shit in my pants!!
gabe1377 8 months ago
@gabe1377 Hell, I shit my pants just watching!
ffhd1clt 8 months ago
The linemen and the Pilot . . !!
Larryproudfoot 8 months ago
The linemen and the Pilot . . . Great team. !!
Larryproudfoot 8 months ago
lineman my hat is off to you
surfaceplaner 8 months ago
looks like fun, the view must be awesome up there.
midnightfapper 9 months ago
Um where can I sign up for this job?
keithbussanich 9 months ago 2
Anybody that asks me to do this on the job would just simply get an asswhippin just for asking.
Kandimann 9 months ago
do u want to ride bicycle on that line ? It's so fun :D
SafeGuard007 9 months ago
Solid brass...Awesome video
CCWSig 9 months ago
From a fixed wing pilot - those are steady hands! (I am bowing down in front of my computer in reverence)
catexan 10 months ago
Um boss, if I could spell "hell no" in fewer letters I could give you my answer much quicker.
HuskerSeaofRed 10 months ago
Big brass ones. That's all I can say.
HisXLNC 10 months ago
Wow.. That should really be done from the other side so the tailrotor would be on the other side of the boom away from the cables. The tail was quite near cables for a while there.. But respect from me. That's difficult flying!
81Pondus81 10 months ago
@81Pondus81 The pilot is well trained and he must be close enough to see the lineman and the wand has he moves laterally away from the lineman.
Gizmologist09 9 months ago
@Gizmologist09 Wouldn't it be easier for him to see the lineman and the wand if he had used more left pedal, and at the same time get the tail rotor further from the line? Seemed to me that the tail rotor was closer to the line than I would've liked if I was the pilot. But that's me. I'm currently training to be a professional pilot and of course I'm over average interested in safety during helicopter operations.
81Pondus81 9 months ago
@81Pondus81 yeah i was thinking the same thing
roofy2k 8 months ago
chingon!! _o_
respect!!
masterwsm 10 months ago
unhealthy or not, hats off to them for doing it. Better them than me ;-)
DoctaM3 11 months ago
Was there a third guy on a tower recording this?
thepigeonsmustdie 11 months ago
how come this arc doesnt affect the helicopters electronics?? I know its not grounded, but still.......
Trruckker 11 months ago
@Trruckker I'll take a crack at that one... the helicopter pilot is flying with or without the gages? the important question is: does the chopper actually become energized to .... 500kv? the answer is NO. furthermore, my question is: why... if all things being equal would the pilot off-load his linemen on the real tail rotor side? hmmm? ... it looks needlessly close... i'm just saying:(
oienmac 6 months ago
A pack of Hells Angels couldn't get me up there
554687858 11 months ago
electricity confuses me...
MathewAlden 11 months ago
yes they are heros
asmordi 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
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!
kaaitj 11 months ago
Comment removed
kaaitj 11 months ago
I think this job is very unhealthy. The human body has its own electric potential
dziabaq 1 year ago
yea, and not to mention the effects of gravity! :)
Would I purchase a home with a transmission r.o.w through my backyard? No way. Is our exposure a significant health risk? Well, so far, nothing has been conclusively proven.
FlyingLineman 1 year ago 4
@dziabaq There body is not brought to potential.
iamthesaxmaster 9 months ago
There are some truly bad ass mother fuckers in this world...
DLOColumbia107 1 year ago
UF, HAY QUE SER MUY VALIENTE
MP3tilaco 1 year ago
Now that's a pilot...
QuantumThermo 1 year ago
now thats a job you can be PROUD of !!
whiskey01 1 year ago
it would be fun on a windy day
ICEGTN 1 year ago
@ICEGTN Im sure they try to plan for a semi-nice day if possible.
Snyper5527 1 year ago
very good
supercleiton10 1 year ago
Complete trust in your pilot right there! Respect and mad props (no pun intended) to these guys! That's some dangerious shit!
PyrozPlayground 1 year ago
Now, I'm on a rant. I also recently watched a the making of a movie in which one of the actors, who was paid 15 million dollars (Source IMDB) plus a percentage of the gross, not net but GROSS, describing acting in the rain as. ",.. the hardest thing I've ever done."
azimuth361 1 year ago
Funny, just a few minutes ago I was just watching a video about a singer, I won't mention her name because she has a great number of fans, who was bragging about how brave she was to make an album in which, ".... I face myself and expose my fears and vulnerabilities. That took a lot of courage to put all that out there." Bitch, you made an album. This dude stepped from a helicopter onto a wire. Some peoples' notions of courage and heroes is seriously skewed.
azimuth361 1 year ago 102
And then we consider the people in the world who wake EVERY day not knowing what they will eat, how they will find water or if they will be killed for some random reason... so many others face true 'fears and vulnerabilities.'
"A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward." - Jean Paul Richter
FlyingLineman 1 year ago 22
@FlyingLineman True all that. I admire the hell out of you and what you do. Thanks for keeping the lights on for us.
azimuth361 1 year ago
@azimuth361 is it beyonce or lady ga ga? igots to know
TheMistermuppet 1 year ago
@TheMistermuppet Again, I don't want to name the artist because, among her vices, she has a fair number of virtues.
Well, okay, it was Jennifer Lopez talking about her album, Brave. Fucking hell, man.
azimuth361 1 year ago
@azimuth361 Hope the bitch enjoyed her hot coffee and shower in the morning, we look down on them from up there, but they still treat us like shit.
hilrider 7 months ago
@hilrider The odds of you meeting Jennifer Lopez are very, very slim. The odds of you meeting me are pretty good, and rather malleable. If this is your job, and we ever meet, I would be honored to buy you and your colleagues supper. You make our lives possible. Thank you.
azimuth361 7 months ago
@azimuth361 just like how idiots look up to justin beibler and not to real people like nicola tesla
BaberJacks 7 months ago
I can do that naked
albodude93 1 year ago
Fuck that shit but thank god for people like this other wise I woudn't typing this comment without them!
pearldrumsarecool 1 year ago
Bravo, whats happens if you dont hot stick the helicopter as it flys away?
Thanks.
Isthisthelongestname 1 year ago
an arc will jump between the helicopter and wire/linemen - using the wand insures this spark won't contact the linemen on the wires. F.L.
FlyingLineman 1 year ago 4
@FlyingLineman The wand serves to gradually and gently elevate the lineman's electrical potential until it matches the voltage of the lines. Once the potentials match, then the electricity will have no effect on the lineman.
denelson83 10 months ago
@Isthisthelongestname As above, the wire is creating a potential difference of 0v between the lines and the helicopter, if they didn't connect it would arc.
Samage89 1 year ago
@Isthisthelongestname The arc will start up again (between the lineman/helicopter body) and continue until you get too far away. Better to let the hot stick take the arc.
thepigeonsmustdie 11 months ago
who ever were the two guys that gave this a thumbs down can suck my cack
bordersoldier 1 year ago
all that electricity tru his ass
RitvarLegend 1 year ago
holy cow~!~ look at those zzzaapp!!
Akinyamok 1 year ago
The rides not over till its over!!! LOL
cessnaclub 1 year ago
@flyinglineman do you have to be a certified electrician to do that work #1, #2 I heard it pay real well and #3 where do I sign up?
vonkiser 1 year ago
1 - Journey Lineman or qualified apprentice with some experience.
2 - pay is slightly above average - big factor is living 8-9 months away from home. Life on the road is hard on families.
3 - go to 'haverfield' or 'air2' websites and complete the online applications
Best of luck to you - be safe what ever path you follow. F.L.
FlyingLineman 1 year ago
Eso se llama tener LOS COJONES BIEN PUESTOS
elcapodeav 1 year ago
They make around $30 an hour plus overtime and per diem. My husband does this and it isn't as scary as it seems... At least that's what he says lol
marchelledesign 1 year ago
o piloto do helicóptero eh fudido isso sim
dymmyttry 1 year ago
nope nope nope couldnt pay me enough! You my friend have some huge balls! However, on average what do you guys make, if you dont mind me asking?
BUKUINC 1 year ago
@BUKUINC i make 85,000 a year flying men to oilrigs and back its a tuff schedule but i love it, also i have 4000 hours of flight time too so that increases the pay a lot
xmasterfunk 1 year ago
Are all three lines at the same potential? Guess they must be to be able to sit on one with the foot on another-
wingerrrrrrrrr 1 year ago
Wichita lineman-Balls of steel..!
tetramoo 1 year ago
o cara que sobe aee nesses fio é machao ein!!!!!!
fabianoblues 1 year ago
Talk about having balls of steel...
just4playin1 1 year ago
Chopper pilot with worst job in the world xD Sneeze once and your damned!
QBMan 1 year ago
crazy !
CopsAndCrashes 1 year ago
one of the best videos on youtube 5 stars *****
FL4ME5 1 year ago
i think i would be sick all the time! look a\t the views tho!
globalcentralline 1 year ago
that is the most frightening thing I have ever seen anyone willingly do.
chemicalsweet13 1 year ago
This is one of the best things I've ever seen!
Thanks for uploading.
Great heights, High voltages, Rotor blades...
What do you guys do for excitement ?!
guthywoodry 1 year ago 2
@guthywoodry lol
Wintendows 1 year ago