Power Lines??

[pccoder 0]

Landing out, how much of a consideration are power lines for chosing a viable out?

i.e. If you can land in a residential area on a street, but there are power lines occasionally crossing the street that you may wish to land on, what is everyone's policy here?

PcCoder.net

[AggieDave 6]

Its a big consideration for me, although I've had to go around and once under powerlines (I got really really lucky on that one).

Atleast in my experience with Texas jumping, you have 2 things by roads: 1. Powerlines and 2. Barbed wire fences, so I try to stay the hell away from roads in general when landing off.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[nightjumps 1]

...that's part of my FJC training here in Oklahoma... roads = obstacles (power lines & barbed wire fences). Look for a SOFA. WE got lots of them.

[GravityGirl 0]

And never land between the road and a farm house. They usually have one very invisible wire going to the house.

Not that I hit it! I just got a close up view!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[mwabd1 0]

They should be a big consideration!! I would always opt for an open field rather than a street. Those damn lines are invisible usually until it's to late, and I'm sure if you read back through the incident reports there are quite a few..........initiated a low turn to avoid power lines statements. I am a control room operator at a large power plant and have had to sit through alot of training classes that show very graphic pictures of what happens to people when they tangle with power lines. So yes I am a little lerry of electricity but along the same lines if you are familure with the area surronding the d.z. you should have a few good outs in mind.

....sorry for rambling...........

[FrogNog 1]

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...that's part of my FJC training here in Oklahoma... roads = obstacles (power lines & barbed wire fences). Look for a SOFA. WE got lots of them.

I'm confused - do people always dump sofas far from the road and power lines? Because in these parts, our dumpers are so lazy they will leave them on the side of the road. Or at intersections.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[masher 1]

Also, as a general rule, straight lines are obstacles.

straight line = fence, road, powerlines...... -> manmade stuff.

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[nightjumps 1]

Soft
Open
Field
Area

[slug 1]

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Landing out, how much of a consideration are power lines for chosing a viable out?

i.e. If you can land in a residential area on a street, but there are power lines occasionally crossing the street that you may wish to land on, what is everyone's policy here?

Smart question!

Maybe one of the sparkies can confirm this but IMO even the powerlines crossing the street can be nasty. I think it all depends on where the transformer is located.

We landed on a dirt road in the country once and our canopy draped over a power line crossing the road going to a farmers pump house. Didn't see the damn line until our feet almost hit it as we passed over it.

[mwabd1 0]

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Maybe one of the sparkies can confirm this but IMO even the powerlines crossing the street can be nasty. I think it all depends on where the transformer is located.

That would be correct, the juicce is not stepped down until it hits that little step down transformer on the pole in front of your house.

[piisfish 140]

at one of the dz's we use (Bex, Switzerland), there are high voltage powerlines not far from the landing zone... And the highway just after that... and on the other side the runway... so we have to come in quite precisely... and avoid the planes which are parked

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[billvon 3,088]

>Maybe one of the sparkies can confirm this but IMO even the
> powerlines crossing the street can be nasty. I think it all depends on
> where the transformer is located.

Varies from place to place. At the service entrance to the house you'll see 240VAC; those are generally the lines you see crossing the street. Still more than enough to kill you if you hit them and end up touching both the wire and another grounded conductor (like a guy wire) but if your parachute wraps around them and you're on the ground, generally you're OK. Spectra doesn't conduct well unless it's wet. These are the "middle" wires on most power poles.

The "upper" wires vary but are often in the 13kv range. Hitting these is nasty because the wires below them are supported by guy wires that are generally grounded, so it's hard to avoid touching both. And at 13kv, you will get some current flow even in mostly-dry lines.

Note that the wires on the bottom of utility poles are cable and phone lines, and aren't much of an electrocution risk.

Another risk is shorts. If you manage to push two 13kv lines near each other due to canopy impact, there will be an arc and a small explosion that can easily vaporize canopy and lines and give you nasty burns if you're anywhere near.

[TribalTalon 0]

yeah i've been coming in to land before in a nice big field (WAAAAAAAAY out) and all of a sudden *double take* FUCK! power lines. luckily i cleared em with about 20 feet to spare, but still, that was a little closer then i wanted to be to em. hehehe. Those things can be really damn invisible, especially if you're wearing colored goggles like i do.

[DBCOOPER 5]

All roads have wires. Ask any night vision goggle crew.

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[jeffallen 0]

If it is a electrical cable of any kind consider it a very big hazzard. Before or after the transformer does not matter, just determines how well done you will be if you get hooked up in them . If you have the option. hit the ones going from the pole to the house, they are better insulated than the ones between the poles. I would take a downwind landing on a paved street covered in broken glass if I had the choice. Be safe, Have fun

[3ringheathen 0]

Another risk is shorts. If you manage to push two 13kv lines near each other due to canopy impact, there will be an arc and a small explosion

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I saw someone on a 26' LoPo slip in between the center two of four power lines and cause an arc.

Really scary sound and lights! The canopy lit up like a giant light bulb, collapsed, and dropped the hapless idiot into a ditch unscathed.
Given their track record, they were told to take up golf.
-Josh

If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me*
*Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

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[kallend 2,115]

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Another risk is shorts. If you manage to push two 13kv lines near each other due to canopy impact, there will be an arc and a small explosion

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Hitting power lines causes a small explosion in your shorts? Well, I suppose it would.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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[mjosparky 4]

Quote

>Maybe one of the sparkies can confirm this but IMO even the
> powerlines crossing the street can be nasty. I think it all depends on
> where the transformer is located.

Varies from place to place. At the service entrance to the house you'll see 240VAC; those are generally the lines you see crossing the street. Still more than enough to kill you if you hit them and end up touching both the wire and another grounded conductor (like a guy wire) but if your parachute wraps around them and you're on the ground, generally you're OK. Spectra doesn't conduct well unless it's wet. These are the "middle" wires on most power poles.

The "upper" wires vary but are often in the 13kv range. Hitting these is nasty because the wires below them are supported by guy wires that are generally grounded, so it's hard to avoid touching both. And at 13kv, you will get some current flow even in mostly-dry lines.

Note that the wires on the bottom of utility poles are cable and phone lines, and aren't much of an electrocution risk.

Another risk is shorts. If you manage to push two 13kv lines near each other due to canopy impact, there will be an arc and a small explosion that can easily vaporize canopy and lines and give you nasty burns if you're anywhere near.

One thing to keep in mind, it is not the voltage that will kill you, it is the amperage. 1000 volts and 1/2 amp probably will not get you, but 50 volt and 20 amps and you are toast. Like someone else said straight lines will hurt. Land on a house roof if you have to, just avoid transmission lines.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[phoenixlpr 0]

on need-to-know basis

so only thing need to know to aviod power lines

[cvfd1399 0]

You don't even have to touch high voltage lines to get a flash. If you get within 11 feet 3 inches it can jump and get you. That is why all lines that are high voltage are placed 14 feet from any ground source.

[phoenixlpr 0]

Thats not so simple. It depends: midair or grounded.

[skyjunior 0]

I am an electrician for 26 years, and a half a amp can kill you dead, dead, dead if it goes across your heart in some manner.

PLEASE REMEMB

[kallend 2,115]

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I am an electrician for 26 years, and a half a amp can kill you dead, dead, dead if it goes across your heart in some manner.

As little as 20mA can cause cardiac arrest.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 3,088]

>One thing to keep in mind, it is not the voltage that will kill you, it is
> the amperage. 1000 volts and 1/2 amp probably will not get you,
> but 50 volt and 20 amps and you are toast.

1/2 an amp can definitely kill you. The main issue is voltage; 48 volts (telephone wire voltage) is not enough potential to push a significant amount of current through your body, but 13kV definitely is. That's why you won't get electrocuted working on a car battery system (even though it can source 200 amps to the starter motor) but you can easily electrocute yourself working on house wiring, even if there's a 1 amp fuse between you and the utility.

And as someone else mentioned, where the current flow is is critical. You can take a few amps through your arms or legs and not be killed. It will hurt like hell, and you may get burned, but you'll probably survive. But even small amounts of current flowing through your chest can kill you very quickly, because your heart depends on an often-fragile pattern of electrical polarization/depolarization to keep beating, and it's easy to interrupt that pattern.

[Decibel 0]

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If it is a electrical cable of any kind consider it a very big hazzard. Before or after the transformer does not matter, just determines how well done you will be if you get hooked up in them . If you have the option. hit the ones going from the pole to the house, they are better insulated than the ones between the poles. I would take a downwind landing on a paved street covered in broken glass if I had the choice. Be safe, Have fun

Actually, it does make a very big difference. First, as you mention, lines running to the house are very well insulated, well enough that you should be able to grab onto them without any risk (not that I'm suggesting this). Second, they're only 240V, but more important, they're only 120V off of ground potential. Getting hit with 120V can certainly kill you, but it's pretty rare unless it's for an extended period of time.

The lines feeding the 'pole pig' transformers that provide the 240V are a very, very different story. Generally, the lowest voltage you'll ever see there is around 11,000V, and it can be well over that. Doesn't really matter though; hit any voltage in that range and you're seriously screwed.

Obviously, the absolute best plan is to stay way the hell away from power lines of any kind, but you're definately better off with the low voltage lines. Just remember that many times there will be both medium (ie: 11,000V) and low voltage lines running together.