People with electrical training 'take to the skies'
Some people with electrician training will be taking to the skies over south Cumbria as United Utilities trials the use of helicopters to survey overhead power lines.
The firm is looking after the areas power supply on behalf of Electricity North West and test flights are due to take place on July 14th and 15th.
Helicopters will be flying over the west coast, Millom, Broughton in Furness, Askham in Furness and between Ulverston and Kendal.
Although the choppers have been used to inspect power cables in the past, they were abandoned due to the difficulty of getting data on to computers.
Now, IT developments and helicopter-mounted video cameras mean they could be making a comeback.
Maintenance manager Steve Irlam said: "While foot patrols have always done an excellent job, it is time-consuming work and, especially in Cumbria, often means working alone in some very remote locations."
In other electrical training news, 66-year-old Gordon Dodds, who has worked as an electrician at the Port of Tyne in South Shields for 50 years, has been given an award for his services, the Shields Gazette reported.
