What are the orange balls on the electrical lines for?

Answer 1

The large globes are known as aircraft warning markers. They are used to make the power lines more visible to pilots. When you or I look up at the wires, they are seen against the blue (or gray) sky. When pilots look down, the wires tend to blend in with the ground.

The balls generally range is size from 30" to 52" in diameter.

You'll often see the markers on wires that are inline with the end of a runway. While there is plenty of clearance for the planes and their glide slope, many locations put up the markers anyway. They will also appear over large river crossings where it is common for pilots to fly along the path of the river.

Any structure that exceeds an overall height of 200 feet (ft) above the surrounding terrain should normally be marked. The FAA may also recommend marking a structure of lesser height located within 20,000 ft of an airport or 5,000 ft of a heliport.

Answer 2

The balls are used to make the power lines more visible to pilots of low flying aircraft.

Answer 3

Law Reporter, Oct 1998

Helicopter contacts power lines: Failure to mark lines with orange marker balls: Wrongfull deaths: Verdict: Punitive damages.

Lopez v. Three Rivers Elec. Coop., Inc., Mo., St. Louis City Cir. Ct., No. 952-9491, May 7,1998.

Jones, 36, and Lopez, 30, were aboard an army reserve helicopter when it struck power lines strung across a river. The helicopter crashed, killing both men. Jones is survived by his wife and two minor children. He had been a fire fighter earning about $32,000 annually. Lopez is survived by his wife and one minor child. He had been a helicopter mechanic earning about $35,000 annually at the time of his death.

Jones's and Lopez's survivors, individually and on behalf of the estates, sued the utility that owned the power lines.

Plaintiffs alleged that defendant had been negligent in failing to mark the power lines with orange marker balls, in violation of industry standards. Plaintiffs claimed that a reasonable utility would have marked the lines because the utility poles were obscured by trees and the lines blended into the background vegetation. Plaintiffs also claimed that defendant knew that the lines were dangerous because another aircraft had struck them in 1975, resulting in three deaths.

At trial, plaintiffs introduced evidence that consultants had told defendant to mark the lines.

Defendant contended that Lopez and Jones were the sole cause of the accident and that they had been flying 100 feet above the river, in violation of military rules and regulations.

The jury awarded the Joneses $2.5 million compensatory and $500,000 punitive damages, plus about $404,400 in prejudgment interest. The Lopezes were awarded $2.5 million compensatory and $500,000 punitive damages, plus about $444,800 in prejudgment interest. The jury allocated defendant's fault at 80 percent in the Joneses' action and at 90 percent in the Lopezes' action, and reduced the compensatory awards accordingly.

source:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3898/is_199810/ai_n8814217

Answer 4

They are mostly to make the power line visible to aircraft. But, helicopter pilots were always trained to fly over the pylons to avoid this hazard.

Answer 5

they are on over head power lines to make the power lines visible to low flying aircraft.

Answer 6

the above two answers are correct; however, they are also there for other types of aviation power strike prevention....for example....Purdue University studies birds striking power lines and these balls help with bird strikes as well.

Answer 7

To warn off low-flying aircraft.