Standing Into Danger: Something Unexpected

Friday, September 13, 2019

Something Unexpected

I am fortunate to live in the flight paths of Denver International Airport
and Buckley Air Force Base, home of the 460th Space Wing.
That means I get to hear and see all kinds of interesting aircraft.
Often the sound of helicopters and fighter jets
has me running to our deck to search the skies.
I can't help it. I was a Royal Canadian Air Force brat.

I hear helicopters almost every day, and they are often military helicopters
flying from Buckley to Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, or other destinations.
Some people resent any aircraft flying over our community, but not me.
I never tire of them.

Helicopter Last Weekend

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 8, 2019

Sometimes, when I'm really focused on a task,
I ignore the helicopters and other aircraft I hear.

Such was the case last weekend

when I was working on our budget for September.

I heard and ignored the siren call of whirling rotors.

I thought, Maybe a Black Hawk on its way to Fort Carson.

But the sound of rotating blades did not increase and decrease.

They went on and on and on, circling near Piney Creek.

So as I was trying to make columns of figures balance,

I was thinking: News helicopter? Police helicopter? Flight for Life helicopter?

Finally my curiosity overcame my focus,

and I had to go out on my deck and see what was going on.

Helicopter

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 8, 2019

The helicopter had flashing red and blue lights
and hovered near an electrical transmission tower.

Police helicopter was looking like a good guess
until I noticed that a wire stretched out tautly behind the helicopter.

Helicopter

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 6, 2019

As I watched I realized that the helicopter was stringing wires
from one electrical tower to another.
I thought it was an amazing bit of flying.

I've been watching for weeks as a second set of electrical towers
has marched across nearby hills parallel to the old power line.
Given the thousands and thousands of houses that have been built
in this area in the past twenty or so years,
it was not surprising to see a new power line under construction.

Sunday's Helicopter

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 8, 2019

I watched in awe for a while,
and then went back to the dreary task of budget numbers.

Monday I noticed the helicopter was back at it, and it droned all morning.
Finally I couldn't stand it any longer.
I had to go down to Piney Creek and see the action closer up.

It had been at least two months since I walked along this portion of the open space,
and I was surprised to see a new road and tons of equipment littering the landscape.

Giant Cable Spools

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

Transmission Lines, Road, and Equipment

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

Nobody was around ~ They must have been on a lunch break ~

So I stepped onto the site, snapped a couple of shots, and left quickly.

Transmission Lines, Road, and Equipment

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

I kept hoping the helicopter would show up.

After all it had been flitting about like a dragonfly most of the morning.

Now that I had shown up, it was nowhere to be seen.

I hung out in a nearby field pretending to be very interested in nature photography.

Waiting with Weeds

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

Waiting with Weeds

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

After waiting for almost an hour, I finally gave up and headed for home.

Then suddenly I heard the rotors in the distance and ran north toward the sound.

Boy, was my patience rewarded!

And, boys oh boy, was I surprised!

Surprise

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

This time the helicopter wasn't stringing wires.

It was carrying a lineman from tower to tower.

Not the Job for Me!

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

Monday's Helicopter

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

The Transmission Line on the Right Is Live!

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

It's hard to grasp how big these towers and their components are

until you see a man dangling beside them.

Lineman at Work

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

September 9, 2019

I chased the helicopter with its dangling lineman from tower to tower

snapping photos as I ran. These guys work fast!

The helicopter pilot would lower the lineman by three giant pulleys on one side of a tower,

and then he would hoist him up by three giant pulleys on the other side of the tower.

I don't know exactly what the lineman was doing, but he appeared to be making sure

that cables were feeding through the pulleys properly.

But I do know this: both he and the pilot were doing very dangerous work.

Moving from One Tower to the Next

I later read that helicopters are used when linemen work on

high voltage, high-tension power lines that span huge distances.

The helicopters move them from one massive primary transmission tower to another

These towers can be 500 feet high and carry hundreds of kilovolts of power.

electricianschooledu.org

Moving Faster Than I Can Run

I also later learned that Xcel Energy is building 125 miles of new power lines
in its Pawnee-Daniels Park Project.
The 20-mile segment being constructed in our area runs
from the Harvest Mile Substation in Aurora

to the Daniels Park Substation in Castle Pines.
When finished the new power lines will carry 345 kilovolts (kV) of electricity.

(I find it difficult to understand what a volt is, but a kilovolt is a thousand of them ~
So it's a 345,000 volt power line.)

Article Map

Moving Above the Trees

(middle left)

It wasn't long before the helicopter and the lineman outpaced me.

Fortunately, the helicopter lowered him to the ground,

for a well-deserved break I'm sure!

I'm so glad that curiosity got the better of me!

I had no idea that helicopters and dangling linesmen constructed power lines.

Actually I didn't know anything about constructing power lines.

I wouldn't have missed seeing this for anything.

Back to Reality

Upper Pond, Piney Creek

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Waiting for the Ferry to Tiverton

Grand Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada

July, 2016

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Aurora, Colorado, USA

Wikimedia

Area Where I Took the Photographs

(by the asterisk in the lower middle)

Google

Southern Aurora and Northern Parker

Google

Adapted from a Sign in the Park

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

31 comments:

Alex J. CavanaughSeptember 13, 2019 at 4:30 AM
Wow! Now that isn't something you see everyday. That is dangerous work and not in a million years would I let someone dangle me under a helicopter. But it gave you some amazing shots.
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L. Diane WolfeSeptember 13, 2019 at 7:18 AM
Oh my goodness, I've never seen such a thing. Perhaps that is easier and safer than having him climb each tower. Plus he might not be able to reach some of those ares.

We live near an AF base and when it's a different sound or really loud, I always go out to look.
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nashvillecats2September 13, 2019 at 7:40 AM
Wow what an interesting experience, and such wonderful photo's to match. Thanks for sharing.

Yvonne.
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Madeline Mora-SummonteSeptember 13, 2019 at 8:22 AM
Whoa! You just never know what you'll find when you follow your curiosity, do you? You could totally use some of this in a story! :)
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UnknownSeptember 13, 2019 at 11:20 AM
Very Nice! Great story,
Thanks for sharing,
Debbie in Amarillo
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Nancy JSeptember 13, 2019 at 12:09 PM
I am always so thankful for power, after our many camping trips where we used a generator, or gas stove, or fire. That seems to be very skilled and dangerous work, and each person relies on the other totally. What a thrill to be there and get those amazing photos. I wonder how many of us had no idea this was how high voltage lines are strung and the huge turntables that they run on. Thanks for the news and views, to think that this is all quite close to homes and public roads is incredible.
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AdamSeptember 13, 2019 at 5:06 PM
A guy was at work and the loud fan was getting on his nerves so he shut if off. Which really upset the other guy in the helicopter.
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Theresa MahoneySeptember 13, 2019 at 6:46 PM
Goodness! It sure makes you appreciate those who work in electrical that much more, doesn't it? Definitely not a job for me either, but some people live for that kind of rush. I had no idea this was how they worked the lines so far up, so I'm glad you were able to captures these incredible action shots to share with us. Thanks!!
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Janie JunebugSeptember 13, 2019 at 8:10 PM
That is cool and amazing and I'm glad I'm not hanging from a helicopter.

Love,
Janie
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Pat HattSeptember 14, 2019 at 5:41 PM
Wow, never knew they did that. That is sure a job where I hope they each get paid very well. Great you were able to catch them. Helicopters were still going around here to assess damage as of yesterday, fun times. No one hanging from ropes though. Just lots and lots of crews and lots and lots of overtime, ugg.
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Rain September 15, 2019 at 11:09 AM
Wow Louise! You got some great shots there and I have to say I have never seen or heard anything like it! Thanks so much for sharing! :)
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T. Powell ColtrinSeptember 17, 2019 at 1:36 PM
I am such a nut because I would like to dangle out of the helicopter like that. How cool was that?
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sageSeptember 18, 2019 at 6:08 AM
I have seen helicopters work hauling timber, but this is amazing! That would be a scary job with the energized lines next to the new ones.

Http://www.thepulpitandthepen.com
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bailiSeptember 24, 2019 at 12:49 AM
i have seen helicopters so many times ,most of them belonged to army but never one that work for power towers
such an incredibly INTERESTING post dear Louise i enjoyed each bit of it and i am so happy you left the budget making for while and did great job like this :)))

new towers look different and better ,new power supply will meet the demand of power in the area well hopefully

i hope your budget was made finally when you got back :)
while reading each line i realized how amazing that we share almost same curiosity :)
thank you for sharing your own happy delightful image ,it makes the JOY COMPLETE!
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