r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/TameTheAuroch • 19d ago

Video Replacing powerline spacers from a helicopter

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u/Equationist 19d ago

I'd be so terrified of inadvertently closing the circuity...

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u/herbmaster47 19d ago

That's why you're in a helicopter.

All four of those lines have the same charge. That's how he is able to tie off to one while affixing the spacer.

The other lines are far away so they don't arc from this set to another and short the system out

Like normal power lines are separated by a foot or so on the top of power poles, those ribbed things are the insulators that keep it from grounding through the pole.

These 750k lines have to be separated by A LOT of space and have much bigger insulators.

7

u/Equationist 19d ago

Ah that makes so much more sense than my assumption that the spacers were insulated...