Utility Uses Helicopters to Build a Power Line

FirstEnergy crews used helicopters to build a power line over the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The electric utility employed a helicopter to get the job done as part of a 7-mile, $11 million transmission line upgrade, reports WPXI.

The FirstEnergy helicopter pulled electric wire down the turnpike, with one worker positioned outside of the helicopter and stringing the wire to 100-ft. transmission towers. In between transmission towers, the helicopter is able to pick up supplies and move on, without disrupting the traffic below. A FirstEnergy worker told WXPI that employing helicopters is becoming a common practice among utility workers, and FirstEnergy uses three helicopters across the country.