Power Line Visibility

[Milt]

Making Power Lines Visible.

Down Under in Austalia we have recently had yet another fatal x 4 following a power line strike by a lightie.

In various parts of the world I have seen power lines having highly visible balls on the cables in areas where low flying aircraft are likely to fly.

It's incomprehensible that we now await the next cable strike/s without some preventative activity.

Is there a better system than the balls?

Comments will be much appreciated before commencing heavy lobbying.

[Cougar]

G'day Milt,
1) Best prevention - CHAD your charts and know where the powerlines are before you go flying.

2) powerlines shouldn't be an issue unless you are mil or have a low flying endorsement

simple as that. Yes it is an issue if a lightie wants to go down Warragamba Dam or something to showboat to his mates. Training is a good preventative measure.

[aviate1138]

Milt said in part.....

"It's incomprehensible that we now await the next cable strike/s without some preventative activity.

Is there a better system than the balls?

Comments will be much appreciated before commencing heavy lobbying."

Aviate 1138 says.....

Remember that most high voltage pylons have a much thinner bracing wire at the top which carries no current but catches 90% of the lighties that only see it when it is too late. How many of these encounters are crop dusters and how many no-brain pilots showing off in their fixed or rotating wing devices? My advice would be, if encountering sudden wires in the mist, pull up more than you first think you need to and that damned little wire will flash by underneath rather than stop you flying. Once experienced - never forgotten!

Aviate 1138

[*Lancer*]

There is another way! Crop dusters often have a cutting strip on their vertical stabiliser to slice through a wire if they aren't LOW ENOUGH ;) Saves the pilot, saves the plane, and saves ripping up a wake of towers.

[FWA NATCA]

Milt,

First of all the best protection against flying into power lines is not to be low enough to hit them. Second at airfields where power lines are near the runway, the large orange balls spaced along the cables helps make them more visible.


Mike