Fiber Optics Helicopter

[Racinbob 11,063]

Whatever it pays, it isn't enough. We were notified that they would be running through the area on the towers. Well the time is now. The towers are about 1/2 mile south of us. I jumped in the truck to have a look. This was 30x zoom. The next tower was a stones throw from me but I decided that I didn't want to wait for an upclose shot. Do you suppose that the pilot is on that guys Christmas card list? 

 

[kpinnc 12,016]

Yes I'm sure he is!

 

I flew helicopters in the Army, so I can vouch for one of two things: that pilot is very good, or completely crazy! Probably best to say he's a little of both! 

 

So many things to go wrong while doing that work. Helicopters are regularly used for work like that, but like everything else, accidents happen. It's a single engine helicopter, flying too low to perform a traditional autorotation, and too high for a hovering auto. 

 

Definitely a job I would not want. Same for pilot or lineman!

[Racinbob 11,063]

12 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

Yes I'm sure he is! Probably best to say he's a little of both! 

 

Murdock comes to mind. 

[Pullstart 62,841]

Looks like a fun time!  When I grow up I want to change the light bulbs in the radio towers 

[Racinbob 11,063]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

Looks like a fun time!  When I grow up I want to change the light bulbs in the radio towers 

 

Now I'm starting to think you need to seek professional help! 

Edited April 25, 2023 by Racinbob

[kpinnc 12,016]

2 hours ago, Pullstart said:

When I grow up I want to change the light bulbs in the radio towers 

 

Um, no. 

[Pullstart 62,841]

1 hour ago, Racinbob said:

 

Now I'm starting to think you need to seek professional help! 

Is the cheers the professional help?  Fred Dibnah, Steeplechase, said he could only climb a tower after a couple pints.  It helped to calm the nerves 

[kpinnc 12,016]

56 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

It helped to calm the nerves 

 

I think it would take something far stronger to calm my nerves enough to climb a tower. Probably strong enough to make all motor functions so bad as to negate being physically able to climb said tower.

 

I completed pole climbing school for GTE back in the day. It was plenty high enough, though about 1/100 the height of a tower. Since I didn't like that, I feel certain for me that a tower would cause a loss of bowel control.

 

There are some amazing drone videos on YouTube of tower climbers. Such a job requires significant stones... 

[R Scheer 502]

I worked with a lineman doing magnetic field measurements near the 230KV conductors, I was safely on the ground, and he was near the conductors making the measurements.  He held his hard hat near the conductor, and asked if I could hear the snapping sound of arcing inside his hard hat.  Later I asked him whethor those were standard work boots, he said no and they needed to be semi conductive.  If you spent too much time near the conductors the boots would get too hot for comfort.  Whethor he was telling stories or not I don't know, but they couldn't pay me enough to go up and try.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,549]

Fiber optics is one thing... the dudes that work on the high voltage lines...??? yikes!

 

The suit and the arc rod make it exciting to say the least...

 

[oldlineman 1,481]

I would have loved to try that, never got the opportunity. Highest tower I have climbed was a little over 700 feet. Doesn't matter how high you go, once you get past about 30' or so the landing would be the same.  That's me on the hook ladder in my younger years. Second pic is 300' plus tower in Edgar Thomson Works, USS, Braddock, Pittsburgh Pa.

Edited April 25, 2023 by oldlineman

[kpinnc 12,016]

2 hours ago, oldlineman said:

Highest tower I have climbed was a little over 700 feet. Doesn't matter how high you go, once you get past about 30' or so the landing would be the same.

 

Ahem... I need to be sure I say this right... It's important so as not to offend anyone. 

 

Aw HELL NO!!!! 

 

The main difference between a 30 foot fall and 700 is simple: the sheer number of obscenities and volume of excrement I would produce during the time of flight. 

 

I've safely landed a helicopter from over a 1000 feet without power over 500 times. They weren't all pretty, but both myself and the aircraft survived it. That didn't scare me, but falling out of it would have!

[oldlineman 1,481]

I respect your ability to do what you do, and thank you for your service and ALL military members present and past. THANK YOU ALL! Bob

[kpinnc 12,016]

12 minutes ago, oldlineman said:

I respect your ability to do what you do, and thank you for your service and ALL military members present and past. THANK YOU ALL! Bob

 

 Thanks Bob!

 

I don't fly anymore, though I do miss it sometimes. 

 

And I thank all who have served as well!

 

 

[oldlineman 1,481]

My nephew just started basic training at Fort Sill OK. this week, very proud of him, for accepting this responsibility. 

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

Mr. McBeevee…

[davem1111 2,030]

1 hour ago, kpinnc said:

I've safely landed a helicopter from over a 1000 feet without power over 500 times. They weren't all pretty, but both myself and the aircraft survived it. That didn't scare me, but falling out of it would have!

 

Holy sh*t!   I have to ask, how do you land a helicopter from heights like that without power?  I thought they dropped like a rock! 

 

Oh, and thank you for your service.   My wife's dad was a helicopter pilot back in the 1980's and maybe earlier and a helicopter gunner in Vietnam. He won't talk about 'Nam but he has a lot of interesting stories about flying for coal mining companies in West Virginia. He used to pick up my wife (long before she was my wife, obviously) from school sometimes in the helicopter - talk about a thrill for a kid. 

[kpinnc 12,016]

1 hour ago, davem1111 said:

I thought they dropped like a rock! 

 

Sometime if you get bored, Google "autorotation". Guaranteed to put you to sleep! Long story short, it's power off gliding for helicopters. Same principle that allows Pine and Maple leaves to spin when they drop.

 

I trained in TH-67 and OH-58 helicopters, which are just Bell 206s with different paint. They auto with a 4-1 glide ratio, which is better than a Cessna. For every 1000 feet of altitude lost, they travel 4000 feet lateraly. 

 

Back when I flew, we practiced full touch down autos. At least 2-3 per day from altitude. The skids had "shoes" mounted so we didn't make sparks on the runway. Now, the Army doesn't teach full down autos, opting to teach power recovery at 50-75 feet before touchdown. The difficult part of autorotation happens in the last 50 feet. It's also the part that saves the aircraft. Since all Army helicopters have twin engines now, someone decided it wasn't important to learn the landing part. I would never fly with someone who hasn't practiced full down autos- not ever!

 

Your FIL likely flew Hueys in Nam. I assure you, he knows all about full down autos!

[davem1111 2,030]

9 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

Sometime if you get bored, Google "autorotation". Guaranteed to put you to sleep! Long story short, it's power off gliding for helicopters. Same principle that allows Pine and Maple leaves to spin when they drop.

 

 

1.  I *never* get bored - there is always something new and interesting to learn.   I just read about autorotation and watched some videos.

2. Autorotation makes sense, but I guess I thought the blades were too "narrow" to pick up enough upward wind during altitude loss to actually make them rotate, and provide enough lift to keep the bird from dropping too fast.

3. One thing I sometimes wish is that I had pursued becoming a pilot when I was younger. I had an uncle who flew fighter jets and the "Gray Ghost" in Nam, and another who was a commercial pilot. I've always loved flying. 

[Handy Don 12,216]

13 hours ago, kpinnc said:

I've safely landed a helicopter from over a 1000 feet without power over 500 times. They weren't all pretty, but both myself and the aircraft survived it. That didn't scare me, but falling out of it would have!

My helicopter pilot BIL (also a veteran of plenty of no-power landings--some not during training) loves to remind me of two things: 

- a helicopter is simply several thousand distinct parts flying in close formation, and

- that of all flying machines a helicopter has the largest percentage of non-redundant, flight-critical components

He talked me out of my determination to learn to fly one!

[kpinnc 12,016]

2 hours ago, davem1111 said:

. Autorotation makes sense, but I guess I thought the blades were too "narrow" to pick up enough upward wind during altitude loss to actually make them rotate, and provide enough lift to keep the bird from dropping too fast.

 

You actually grasped something most would miss: older semi-rigid rotor systems had wide chord blades, and high inertia rotors that autorotate very well. Newer high performance rotors trade some of those qualities for performance (hence the need for the second engine), and do not autorotate as efficiently. There was a term labeled "circle of action" that describes the very small point in the end of an auto where all the flare/ decel/ level/ cushion stuff happens. In aircraft like Blackhawks and Apaches, the COA is not visible to the pilot because it is directly beneath him, regardless of altitude. In other words, they autorotate like a greased refrigerator. 

 

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

My helicopter pilot BIL (also a veteran of plenty of no-power landings--some not during training) loves to remind me of two things: 

- a helicopter is simply several thousand distinct parts flying in close formation, and

- that of all flying machines a helicopter has the largest percentage of non-redundant, flight-critical components

He talked me out of my determination to learn to fly one!

 

Best way to think of it is the rotor system flies. The helicopter just gets drug along for the ride! The stresses on the mast of a helicopter are massive. Old "teeter totter" rotors like Hueys had a single nut that held the rotor head onto the mast. It was lovingly referred to as the "Jesus nut", because if it came loose- you were gonna meet Him in short order! 

 

Some of the latest tilt-rotor aircraft can hover, but not autorotate. They also can't glide in airplane mode. They are kept aloft by thrust alone. There isn't enough money printed to get me into one of those!

Edited April 26, 2023 by kpinnc

[Beap52 811]

This is a really interesting topic. I also want to thank those who protected our country. 

[kpinnc 12,016]

On 4/25/2023 at 8:09 PM, oldlineman said:

My nephew just started basic training at Fort Sill OK. this week, very proud of him, for accepting this responsibility. 

 

I don't know him, and I too am proud of him. Tell him we said so! 

[ebinmaine 67,456]

1 hour ago, Beap52 said:

This is a really interesting topic. I also want to thank those who protected our country. 

Agreed.  

 

On 4/25/2023 at 7:33 PM, kpinnc said:

Aw HELL NO!!!! 

 

The main difference between a 30 foot fall and 700 is simple: the sheer number of obscenities and volume of excrement I would produce during the time of flight

[oldlineman 1,481]

12 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

I don't know him, and I too am proud of him. Tell him we said so! 

Thank you, I will let him know, but right now contact with him is very limited as you already would know. He is starting 9th day haven't heard from him since he arrived on the 18th 2:00am and the 23rd for a short call, mostly used up with his girl friend though. Supposed to be trained as a medic, my dad was an Army Combat Medic in WWII , in Europe, went in D Day plus 3.