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Helo is very much SAR jargon - so I would guess it is ex military
when they go wrong, which they do, it ain’t pretty. And it all ends in microseconds.
That's very true when a gearbox or some sort of transmission fails.
But I'd always felt a bit more secure in helicopters because if there's a problem and the rotors / tail rotor are still spinning, you can just drop like a stone, pull up/ flare at the last minute and land on nearly any surface.
In fixed wing if you have any problems, particularly when close to the ground, your options are rather more limited.
Maybe that was just the instructors trying to attract us away from fixed wing? 😉 What they didn't tell us was the failure rate of transmissions and rotor systems on helicopters for some reason...
That live line job actually looks like a reasonably pleasant way to earn a crust.
More linesmen are killed by working at heights than they are by electricity.
You could perhaps get a job changing spacers on live high voltage lines.
Holy moly!
I would love see the risk assessment for that:
- 765,000 volts - check
- helicopter in touching distance of heavy steel structures - check
- operative dangling out of helicopter and attaching it to high voltage steel structures at regular intervals - check
- drinking hot beverage from container without lid - he's OK on that one - phew
And why weren't the spacers there in the first place, before they switched the power on?
Is he clipping himself on to the power cable?
Why would he fasten himself or anything to that cable?
By clipping onto the live line, he ensures that he and the helicopter are at the same potential as the line he's about to grab hold of.
See the stick that is the first and last thing to touch the live line? That's that he doesn't want happening to him.
Why would he fasten himself or anything to that cable?
All I can think of is that he unattaches from the helicopter then clips onto the power line so that if there are any sudden movements and he's thrown out of the 'helo' 😉 he doesn't fall to the ground and the helo isn't snagged on the line.
From the look of it, if the helo were to pull away, the first thing to let go of the line would be the guy who has hold of it. Second would be the clip on line holding them at the same potential (it's only a sprung jaw) and last to let go would be the arc control wand.
Thanks Onzadog.
Good knowledge.
Ironically, it's closely related to the industry I'm in currently.
@andrewreay That'll do, thanks! It might not be right, but at least it makes sense. I'll take it off my "Things for which I have unsatisfactory explanations"
What they didn’t tell us was the failure rate of transmissions and rotor systems on helicopters for some reason…
Yup.
In many cases, even on single engine piston you have a decent chance on an EFATO. Obvs as you get older, multi-engine (pref turbine) becomes far more desirable!!
It takes infinitely more skill and knowledge to stop then land, than to land then stop 🙂
I have a mug that says that so it must be true/)