DALLAS – It looks like a mid-air stunt; a spectacle in the sky.
Men are dangling high from a helicopter in far northeast Dallas, and it's not for show. They're working to keep you powered.
"It may look unusual, but these guys are transmission linemen, and they're trained, and they know what they're doing," said Oncor spokesman Kris Spears.
What they're doing now and through the end of the year is repairing and maintaining electric grids.
"We want to make sure they're working properly," Spears said. "We want to make sure our technology is up to speed."
Helicopters help speed up the process.
Workers don't have to navigate neighborhoods with big bucket trucks, and they can fly into industrial areas where getting close to lines from the ground would be difficult.
Spears said customers don't pay more for this convenience. The utility claims your bill will stay the same, since the time it takes to do the work is cut down.
"The transmission line behind me serves tens of thousands of customers," Spears said.
Picture a transmission line like a highway for power.
"A distribution line like that goes down an alley or through your street is more like a side road for electricity," Spears said.
The high-energy job happening now helps keep all of us on the line when severe weather strikes.
It's possible a helicopter could take off for your neighborhood next. Oncor will drop a notice in your door, so you're not alarmed if you hear one circling above.
Click here to read a message from Oncor about the work and see the areas they plan on working by helicopter.
