Powerlines Can’t Hide from Safe Flight Detector
Helicopter pilots will appreciate a little help in finding powerlines before it’s too late.
Moments after the pilot lifted the Bell 206 JetRanger into a hover on a flight many years ago, I choked back a gasp and found myself almost frozen, unable to key the intercom mic button as a spiderweb of powerlines suddenly manifested themselves in front of the helicopter. All I had time to do was quickly point out the front windshield at the power lines, which neither of us had seen when we landed nor during the two hours we had hung around waiting for our passenger to return in a relatively remote location next to a river. The pilot instantly grasped what I was trying to show him and quickly pivoted away from the powerlines and climbed away. When our hearts stopped hammering, we talked about the disaster that had nearly happened.
