We flew a little differently, we did not do much distrubition, below 32.5Kv. 69 Kv was flow at 60mph, ten feet above the trees or highest obstacle and about 1/2 rotor span out from line, 138Kv at 80mph, 230Kv at 100mph and 345Kv at 120mph, the distance paramaters were still the same.

Ancient Pelican
Were you using any fancy gear ie: IR,thermal etc or just Mk1 eyeball?
I guess that you were looking for the same snags !! Flashovers, broken insulators sagging lines and overgrowth .
what aircraft were you using.

Most of the patrols were done in a 206, there was some 105 work also. It was MK 1 eyeball. Yes, they were mostly routine maintenance patrols. There were "relay" patrols which were flown because the line "relayed" due to some unknow cause, storm, tree branches, sknunks in the substations ect. I think what I forgot to state was we carried an observer whose responsibility it was to do the inspecting, the pilot was just suppose to fly the helicopter and keep the observer in a position to observe. Of course being like most pilots,...we would look at the line also. But, mainly we just flew and let the observer do the observing. Great work if you can get it.

We sometimes got close and once whilst going down a very steep incline following the wires down to a sub/stn on a hot humid day pulling 100% TQ and still descending towards the sub/stn got very close but never ever that close.

"Live long and Prosper"

power line surveying?
 

Can anyone suggest names for companies involved in this type of work in UK?
Info gratefully received.....:D

Try PLM Dollar at Inverness, Sterling at Norwich, Patriot at Cranfield and many other small AOC operators.

PLM Dollar are now know as PDG Helicopters and also have a base in Cumbernauld and, I believe, operations in Ireland.

The British Helicopter Advisory Board handbook may also be able to help you - it will have addresses and contacts.

Cheers

Whirlygig

I heard on the grape vine that national grid are devolving their contract out to sub contractors. Anyone know about this.

Cheers folks...
 

Thanks for the info folks, you've provided a few helpful lines of enquiry to follow up.
Best Wishes....Zap:D

TC - so you're saying that National Grid are going to effectively cease operations of their 3xAS355? I'm not aware of them doing anything else with those aircraft than powerline surveying.

There are not many others that do powerline surveys - WPD Helicopter Unit is the obvious one that springs to mind. Pipeline surveys, well, you can add a few more that do that work - who flies the Esso route these days since Southern Air went under?

ppheli,

I think it might be Sterling who do the Esso contract now.

Cheers

W

powerline survey
 

imagine a merger!!

Powerline flying
 

Just passed my CPL(H) and interested in getting some work flying power line inspections in the UK. Anybody got any pointers?

:ok:

To be checked out to fly power line patrols, you have to pass a simple test. Here's a pic of Bob Garnhum, aka Canadian Rotorhead, demonstrating how easy it is.


http://aviationlaw.homestead.com/files/Lineman.jpg



If you want more info on the pad in the picture, click here.

UK operators who do powerline and pipeline surveys have insurance requirements which state that the pilots should have at least 500 hours (in most cases). Additionally, depending on their client, full security checks may also need to be carried out.

Get a copy of the BHAB handbook which will give you a list the AOC operators.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

Whirlygig

There is one main company in AUS that specialises in power line work. Aeropower, and they have a fleet of 500's. Their minimum is 2000 hrs. Their web site is well worth a look

http://www.aeropower.com.au/index2.htm

Great picture. . . wouldn't mind giving it a go.

Know any companies in the UK that do that kind of stuff?

Thanks Whirlygig,

I've got a list of AOC's but I was hoping to narrow it down a bit.
I've got 400 hours so I'm hoping maybe thats enough. . .

hey johe,

not wanting to rain on your parade and all that but I think you are really going to struggle to do powerline with 400 hours, unless you are v.lucky.

I think you should be concentrating on VFR charter, or flight instruction (if you have an FI rating) to try to build your hours up a bit. I think even pipeline patrol would be hard to get.

the ops manual of the last onshore operator I worked for specified 1000 P1 desirable for all its commercial pilots, thats not to say you wont prove me wrong though.

good luck

Hi Freddie,

Yeah, I think you're right but I gotta try. I've got an AFI but was hoping to get away from 'trial lessons' trying to kill me :)
I've got the chance of a few hours charter a week so I guess I'll try a bit harder down that route.

Thanks for the advice :ok:

Johe02

Like most people I got my break by being in the right place at the right time and that part is all down to luck, I happened to be freelancing (pleasure flying/occasional charter) for a company that had a powerline contract but unfortunatly the pilot lost his medical, I was checked out on friday and powerlining on monday (the observer was very surprised to see me as we knew each other, and he knew I was relativly low time) but to the credit of the observer he gave me a chance, we started on the 44kv (double wooden pole) lines as these ran in a ring main pattern from the sub station and back, and after a week of confidance building (his AND mine) we progresed on the 11kv lines ( single wooden pole) the ops manual stated "one and one half rotor spans offset and above the lines " the patrol would be flown at approximatly 40kts indicated and where possible into wind. We flew on average four hours per day and approximatly 350 hours per year for a little over three years, without incident, execpt for chasing and containing armed robbers that is, oh and just failing to become FOD to a Tuccano whilst sat at 50' agl surveying a flashover on a transformer at Brigg in Humberside, and many more.

I have since become an QHI (H), best fun you could ever have in a helicopter with a complete stranger, a North sea commander, 90% proceedural bordom with 10% of full on terror!!, but My best moments of flying to date is powerlining, I would like to give some credit to a Mr Keith Walker ( YEB obsever and Engineer) for not only being a very reliable obsever in every sense of the word but also for being a thoroughly profesional engineer making sure that if I approached any limitation and there were many, then he brought it to my attention. all that and CRM wasn't even thought of then.