Power lines?

[Ppdude]

Anyone know why a blue and green chopper was hovering low level today around south macclesfield? Was very close to power lines for around an hour at 15.30ish?
Wondered what it was doing other than scaring sheep and horses?

[JimBall]

Doing powerline checks - so that you can use your computer.

Helicopters generally don't scare animals.

[TiPwEiGhT]

Sounds like the national grids AS355, PDG operate it me thinks.

[topendtorque]

Helicopters generally don't scare animals.

thassright, like guns, it's only the people that drive em that scares the animals, the smarter variety of drivers don't scare em at all, just get their confidence and proceed in an orderly manner.

there's plenty of helicopters that's scared humans though I'll observe.

[west lakes]

Ppdude

I'm sure that pilots may?? agree.
When I used to fly as observer for the power company in the NW on 11,000v patrols (40ft & 30mph),some years ago, we used to take great care to avoid 1/ Horses (hay burners as one or more pilots described them)
&
Farm stock in buildings including turkeys (one brain per flock)

Sheep were never a problem as they tend to flock in the furthest part of field from the noise
Cows usually not a problem except in one case - I didn't know milk cows could clear a 6ft fence!!

It's also worth noting that before operations the NFU & other interested parties are informed & often advers appear in local papers.


Ahhh those were the days:ok:

[Bravo73]

Ppdude,

As Tipweight stated, it will be one of these:

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=National%20Grid%20PLC&distinct_entry=true

[topendtorque]

next to blood horse farms,
chook farms are possibly the most hazardous - way back when - one used to be located on the recommendd approach path to darwin. this is back in the days of unflinching airspace management, the only allowable diversion was west of track over a large mass of water, no thanks.

another was located right by the (then) new low level training area at Parafield, luckly for me my instructor was not easily intimidated by furious chook owners. especially those what had chooks with their heads well ahead of the feathers through the chicken wire.

another mate of mine has a mob of guineau fowl. he reckons if you boiled a thousand of 'em down you wouldn't get half a pannikan full of brains.

[helimutt]

probably carrying out a perfectly legal operation.

Wonder if Ppdude is trying to stir s**t?

[quichemech]

Think they operate them on their own as well and have the maintenance done by McAlpines.

[Verbatim03]

He appears to be a fixed winger, probably hates helicopters.

[Ppdude]

I am nor a fixed winger, nor do I hate helis, or trying to stir ****.


I do however own a horses which was very scared the other day.
Thanks for all the info from the rest

[MightyGem]

Helicopters generally don't scare animals
Oh yes they do, and horses are by far the worst if they are not used to the noise. Avoid them like the plague.

[K48]

Yes and some horses will jump at a plastic bag... answer: Don't litter you Tescoteurs!!
PPdude. I spent £24.50 waiting for a pair of horses to be a safe distance from my approach line to a field the other day (patting self on back;))
I love horses but they are nervous creatures...

But here's a tip...

The cows are often hiding behind the downwind side of that hedge...

(And Charlie's in the trees... )

[kev_laline]

Neeiighhh!! I say, get 'em used to it!

[paco]

Strange - I never found horses to be much of a problem - if we saw them, we just used go slightly higher (to about 200 ft) and they would soon settle down, especially if you were out of their way fast and didn't produce any blade slap. Cows, on the other hand, seem to prefer you to go lower, because they can't raise their necks very high.

For information, Bristol University carried out trials in 1963 and 1964 on their own farm, using a Bell 47 against horses, cows-in-calf, heifers, in-lamb ewes, and chickens and cows inside buildings. Experienced stockmen were used, and observations were also made on the production of milk or eggs. Passes were made by the helicopter at 60 and 35 feet, at speeds up to 25 mph. It was concluded that completely housed farm stock is not affected at all (although you would still be advised to avoid such buildings wherever possible). When out of doors, reactions are very temporary, after a fleeting period of bewilderment when the animals could injure themselves by hitting fences or falling into ditches. Poultry (and ostriches!) out of doors, however, present the most problems, and will react even to the helicopter’s shadow.

While on the subject - how's this for overgrowth?

http://www.electrocution.com/2005_0803Image0021.JPG
Phil

[ScrumpyLuvver]

Ppdude

May I suggest you speak to these peeps and ask whether they can contact you or advise you how they contact the local community etc etc..

Mate, I spent many a cold, shi:mad:y evening looking after my ex's (note the ex bit) horse every time we heard fireworks, sirens.. pretty much anything really!! Nothing like a 17hand black horse galloping straight out of the dark at you!!!!! :sad: and don't get me wrong.. I actually like nags.. bit of an animal lover me..:ok:

You own a horse.... get used to it and use a bit of common sense.. It's not like it is a daily occurrence... How often is it going to happen???? Get dailing and take responsibility..

SL

[ericferret]

To really scare the crap out of horses you need a Lama and pick a landing spot about 30 yards from the field boundary.

Then you can watch the spectacle of 3 horses tangled in barbed wire and the farmers wife getting badly cut trying to save them.

We were only saved from the business end of a 12 bore when it became apparent that the forestry commision had failed to notify the farmer that we were landing at this site.
They had previously agreed that this would happen in time for the horses to be moved.

[ericferret]

Horses are creatures of flight and their reactions are unpredictable.

A friend of ours used to fly into horse competitions in an R22 with never a horse bothered.

The last major horse incident round here was caused by the Battle of Britain flights Dakota low flying over the Lincs marshs.

The Dak is very quite and I suspect that it was it's sudden unannounced appearance that set them off not the noise.

Horses point of view, "F*ck me a giant eagle, I'm off"

[K48]

Aah.. I still remember the day my brother tried to ride a friend's horse in South Africa.. No sooner had my brother climbed 'aboard', the owner's son (our mate) smacked the horse's a55 and off it shot..! .... and straight into a mulberry bush.. and there it stayed.. my brother was stuck bolt upright and unable to move... with a face full of leaves.:}:}:D

[Ppdude]

You all need to take a few chill pills and relax slightly.
Im not bothered in the slightest about the horse. Hes a big lad, and will get over it.
I merely asked if anyone knew what the chopper was doing as im an ATCO working the sectors above and had not seen anything like it before.

In fact, a normal boring trip to the yard was made interesting as I got to watch some low level flying at close range instead of being handed a broom or a brush and told to get busy.

[ScrumpyLuvver]

I do however own a horses which was very scared the other day.
Thanks for all the info from the rest

Wondered what it was doing other than scaring sheep and horses?

Bit inciteful mate to fall back on the old "chill pill" gag..

No need for a "Chill Pill" as I think you got off pretty lightly from what I have seen as a newbie on this site..

K48

I am gonna be smiling at the thought of your brother buried in the mulberry bush..


Here's a cracker.. An old friend of mine (female) wanted me to meet her new boyfriend (:mad:) who ran a riding school in Italy.. She was oblivious to our instant dislike of each other and asked him to provide 2 horses for me and her to go out on a hack.. I will let your imagination do the rest but suffice to say, I lived through the experience (only just) and learnt a few important lessons (none of them riding related) in the process..

What I will never know is how he managed to get the horse to be so chilled for the first hour of the hack and only turn into "il diavolo" when I was at the furthest point away from civilization. He turned into a cruise missile all the way back to the stable.. think ditches, 90 degree turns on gravel onto narrow bridges over small ravines etc.. :eek:

The moral of the story I think you can guess..:=

SL

[Pandalet]

The moral of the story I think you can guess..

Don't sleep with blokes, they're nothing but trouble? :rolleyes:

[paco]

PPdude - they may have been waiting for the electricity board to arrive having found something dangerous. It's standard practice to "observe" and they may not have been able to land as it's difficult enough to get permission to put the poles in let alone land a helicopter

phil

[500e]

Paco
And they told me Dubai was all sand, who can you trust today:E

K48 tell more about mulberry bush ours is 40 Ft. high and about 25 diameter we call them trees in UK

[purge98]

PPdude I suggest you go and do some more mucking out; it will be less stressful for your brain.

Watch out your little pony doesn't kick your ass when the next helio flys over though.

[topendtorque]

Don't sleep with blokes, they're nothing but trouble?


Pandalet?????????????????:{

[ericferret]

Scrumpyluvver


Horse thinking (very very slowly)

Why is this fat bugger on my back.
Hey why am I leaving all my mates behind.
Thats my dinner in that field and we are going away from it.
I dont want to go nooooooooooooooooooo!!

Hey we've turned round.
Home is thataway.
Goodbye fat bugger
Have a laugh with the mates
Dinner
YeeeHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


Standard horse operating procedure I'm afraid.