Power lines?
 

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?

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

Helicopters generally don't scare animals.

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

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.

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:

Ppdude,

As Tipweight stated, it will be one of these:

http://www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/search/phot...nct_entry=true

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.

probably carrying out a perfectly legal operation.

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

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

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

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

Oh yes they do, and horses are by far the worst if they are not used to the noise. Avoid them like the plague.

Cows
 

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... )

horses are by far the worst if they are not used to the noise. Avoid them like the pl
 

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

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

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

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.

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"

Horse memories
 

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

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.