Power transmission lines and other types of wires high in the sky all pose a significant threat to an aircraft, especially during takeoff and landing.
Partly because the wires are so thin, they can be hard to notice. Marker balls are placed on power lines to make the conductor wires visible to helicopters and planes.
1. Is He Playing Basketball?
The red balls are what power companies call “marker balls or spheres.” Marker balls are strategically placed on power lines to be a visible marker for all types of aircraft.
They are designed to protect the electrical infrastructure. When aircraft vehicles fly too low, the balls serve as markers indicating an aerial safety boundary.
2. Matching Fashion in Nature
Oh look, the tower and ball match! Red spheres are a common color, but other colors are available. The red power line markers are found in open spaces.
These include the major highways, river crossings, canyons, and ravines. They allow pilots to see power poles and lines that appear nearly invisible from the air.
3. My, What Big Balls You Have
Doesn’t this photo really look scary to you? You shouldn’t have fear of heights. The FAA regulates the marker spheres. Some balls are 36 inches in diameter on wires that cross open spaces.
The 20-inch spheres are placed on wires that are less than 50 feet above ground or near a rural aviation runway.
4. Aerial Evening Views
The spheres weigh between 12 to 17 pounds. They are spaced 200 feet apart unless the wires are in a critical area like runways, then the distance is 30 to 50 feet apart. They feature a special ultra-violet coating to lessen the sun’s rays that can cause burning or melting.
5. Distinguished Color Options
The color options are distinguished. Aerial transmission marker balls vary in color. Each color has no electrical or amp significance. Instead, the colors are dependent upon the type of terrain that wires are strung over. Electric companies choose the colors for specific locations and spacing. Read more about that in the next point.
6. Wires, Wires, Everywhere
For example, orange, yellow, and white are used in wide-open spaces. They are used intermittently and in an alternating pattern. Red is a default color that can be seen clearly from the air.
Also, yellow, red, and white are colors that are placed on multiple wires when extra market balls are needed.
7. Can You See Me Now?
Pilots will occasionally need to fly at night at lower altitudes. To avoid critical landscapes like hills and mountains, the electrical transmission markers need visible help.
Ball markers are visible during the day, but when the sun goes down ball markers are partnered with illuminating red beacons. Read more about that.
8. Let There Be Light!
Remember that power line ball markers are strung on electrical transmission lines. When mother nature starts to fuel the air with severe weather the marker balls are already conditioned to withstand possible strikes.
Colorful power line marker balls are hollow. They are designed to save pilot and passenger lives. Read more about that.
9. Great Infrastructure
The U.S. electrical power grid is divided into North, East, and West grids. Similar ball or sphere markers are used by radio, television, and meteorological towers.
These spheres use a different scheme than the power company. The ball markers are designed differently and may be affected by bad weather. More in the next point.
10. Accidents Do Happen
Even though overhead power lines are insulated, accidents do occur. OSHA reports that more than 35% of the following accidents affected power lines in 2019.
• Contractors
• Construction workers
• Fun park balloons
• Small aircrafts
• Power line workers
People are electrocuted or lose their lives. Many of the accidents are accidental but many are serious.
11. Tweet, Tweet, Tweet
There is one anomaly that electricity does not affect. This is birds! Birds love sitting and pooping on my mailbox. They also like power lines. Why aren’t they electrocuted?
The simple answer is that birds are not a good conductor of electrical wiring. But, if they were to touch another grounded object, the birds would become bird suet.
12. Birds Left Behind from Alfred Hitchcock
Power lines for birds are warm. Plus, its height allows birds to watch for prey. Transmission wires provide the type of height that birds like, similar to treetops.
You will often notice birds huddling together on the wire. The reason may be that they are getting heat to their feet and bodies by staying close together.
13. Suspension Shoes
Underserved neighborhoods understand the meaning of hanging shoes (sneakers) over a power line. The shoes are a symbol of dominance by a gang or other nefarious activities. But often, if several pairs of shoes are found hanging, then it’s a game, young kids just got bored. Read the next page.
14. High-Flyer Sneakers Take on a New Meaning
Half a million shoes were removed from power lines throughout the U.S. from 2009 to 2015. Why and when throwing sneakers over power lines started is unknown.
This graffiti symbol has lessened in the past few years. By the way, please don’t remove shoes from live power lines, contact a utility company.
15. Closer to Heaven
A few neighborhoods in the deep south during earlier years used this symbol to denote death. Generally, a deceased male, usually the head of the family, had his shoes (the Sunday best) hang down from a power line or telephone line. This cultural legend symbolized that the dead person’s spirit would return and walk higher toward heaven.
16. Myths and Fears
Despite the myths and fear of hanging shoes, footwear can add weight to the lines. This would cause them to sag with the possibility of touching other lines or trees.
This would result in a fire. Hanging shoes demeans a neighborhood giving it an ugly appearance. Power line shoes can bring property value down.
17. Those Are Good Shoes
Have you ever noticed that new looking sneakers are the objects of shoes being thrown over the power lines? This was why a TikToker took a ladder and cut down sneakers. No, this was not an altruistic move. He took the sneakers to a parking lot and sold each pair for $20.
18. Glass Insulators
The power line insulators are just one part of how our electrical grid operates. This is a suspension insulator encased in porcelain discs.
Each disc carries a low voltage, and also protects the conductor from lightning. The longer the suspension insulator, the more voltage the power line carries. Read more about that.
19. Transformers – No Not the Movie
This is a transformer, another essential reason why we receive electricity. Transformers are fragile. Many natural events can cause a failure like too much moisture.
They contain mineral oil to keep it cool. But when the wiring becomes overcharged, it can blow and out goes the power. Read more in the next point.
20. A Natural Enemy
Transformers are the go-between its current voltage and the voltage that runs into our homes. Sub-stations are home to neighborhood transformers.
A lightning strike will overload a transformer causing a power surge. Lightning strikes contain 120 million volts and more. Transformers can cause explosions and huge fires. Read more in the next paragraph.
21. What a Grid Myth
That plane looks like it is flying low preparing to land. The pilot probably can see the red marker ball and will fly safely. There are myths concerning electrical power systems.
One is insulation. In fact, 90% of the wires and power lines are not insulated, they are all bare wires. They have weather coating only.
22. Hanging Balls
The helicopter and power truck are working together to place these colorful marker spheres on the wire lines. These yellow, orange, and white spheres will be hung alternately to ensure that they will be viewed clearly from the air. The ground crew measures distance, and the helicopter pilot validates it with his GPS.
23. Balisors
As you can see, there are multiple spherical markers placed over a lake. There is a compilation of many red spherical markers and balisor beacons.
Waterways with strung power lines near waters and thick trees are a visible hazard to pilots. Open watery areas must be visible during the day and night to guide pilots.
24. Dare-Devil Feats
So, you want to be a helicopter pilot! Placing power line markers is just part of your job as a power or aerial lineman. Their responsibilities include power line inspections, maintenance, construction, and repairs. Lineman must work in all conditions, especially when there are emergencies. Read more about that on the next page.
25. Electricity Grids In Rural States
Rural states like Arkansas began running wires as early as 1913. Today electricity is everywhere, generated at centralized power plants and decentralized locations.
It is transported through substations, transformers, and transmission lines that deliver it to customers. The U.S. power grid is made up of power plants, high/low-voltage power lines, and transformers that connect all of us.
26. The Rockefellers – Entrepreneurial Giants
Waylon Rockefeller, son of the famous Rockefellers was an Arkansas Governor more than 53 years ago. The movement to join the U.S. energy grid was Arkansas’ main goal.
Waylon had family connections in oil that helped him push for modern electrical grids. Today Arkansas is a large part of Entergy Nuclear, multi-state conglomerate.
27. Kobe Bryant
Pilot error was determined to be the cause of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and friends from crashing and dying. Low hanging clouds in a valley were one of the factors contributing to the crash. Allegedly, the pilot saw how low he was and tried to climb, but all too late.
28. Helicopter Working
Everything is okay, the helicopter is not running into power wires, instead, it is working. Working as a team, an aerial linesman pilot and another linesman hover near the power lines. Part of their job is to keep ball markers operational and to inspect the lines. Read more about landing wheels down on the next page.
29. Landing Wheels Down
With colorful ball markers and beacons, aircraft accidents still occur. This AA airliner is flying lower than normal because it is headed into the landing runway.
Ball markers and flashing beacons should be seen by the pilot because they are strategically placed closer together near runways. Read more about that on the next page.
30. Chinook Hits Power Line
Unfortunately, even with all FAA approved precautions, this Chinook helicopter pilot hits the power tower cables. The neighborhood lost power and the crew landed safely with minor injuries. However, many helicopters running into live wires do not end so well. So you have to be really careful about it. It is not an easy job to do.
31. Stringing Along
If you see a helicopter flying close to power line towers, they may be stringing new lines. This is a dangerous job. In 2018 two workers in Pennsylvania died when the helicopter crashed. However, the future belongs to drones that are operated to string power cables. And everyone likes drones, don’t you think?
32. Wind Power
Wind turbine power uses the wind to create electricity. They can be constructed on land or offshore in large bodies of water like oceans and lakes.
The U.S. Department of Energy is currently funding projects to facilitate offshore wind deployment in U.S. waters. Red spherical markers are affixed to power lines near turbines for pilot safety.
33. Yellow Markers
The FAA mandates colors to provide the greatest possible contrast with the background terrain. This worker’s platform is an extension of a helicopter.
The yellow marker we see is just one of the intermittent color balls. Apparently this yellow marker is providing great visibility to pilots. Read more on the next page.
34. Let Me Down Easy
As linesmen, they are highly trained electrical engineers. They are preparing to install a yellow marker. Even with solar technology, power grids remain a constant.
The installation of ball markers is an ongoing task. The team has used a rangefinder to mark the installation location. Crews must succinctly watch the air space above and below.
35. This Is Not A Beach Ball
Communication between the pilot and the aerial linesman on the seat and harness is vital. While power lines throughout North America are marked with marker balls, they were not always designed for simplified installation or long life. They may rarely be replaced. When new ground construction is planned, new markers must be installed.
36. Orange Is an International Colour
Power line spherical balls are used in all 50 states and internationally. The balls can be designed with two-tone colors.
In this picture, an orange ball with a white cross is the default marker used at the end of a line. Orange is the default international marker ball. Read more about that.
37. From the Ground to the Air
Trained ground linemen assemble around 90% of the white, red, and yellow marker balls. Other team members will collect them and lift them into a bucket truck to be delivered to the overhead wire crew. The aerial crew will then clamp them onto the wires or cables. Read more about that on the next page.
38. It Takes A Village
To assemble and install colorful spherical power line markers, it takes a ground crew and an aerial crew. This linesman is hoisting the ball markers onto a line to be picked up by a helicopter crew. The linesman is instructed which colors follow each other and how far apart they are to be installed.
39. It’s A High Wire Act
Marker balls are placed on the highest overhead wire to ensure their best visibility by airline and helicopter pilots. They are made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic with a resistant material that can withstand varying atmospheric conditions and temperature changes.
It looks like the linesman is patting the marker which a that-a-boy greeting.
40. Power Line Markers
Spherical power line markers were once a pyramid design, but the wind would blow them around like crazy. In 1960, colorful balls were introduced into the electrical system.
The FAA manages everything about its existence. I bet you won’t look at those balls hanging onto wires the same again. But know you know the story about those balls.
