Electricity teams take to the skies to survey their pylons

IF you’ve noticed more helicopters in the skies above Greater Manchester recently, this might be why.

Electricity North West staff are using choppers to check thousands of overhead power lines across the region.

Using state-of-the-art sensors, engineers are examining the condition of pylons and cables for signs of damage and wear and tear to assess which are in need of repair.

Until October they are surveying around 3,800 pylons from Cumbria to Greater Manchester.

Ian Fenton, asset investment manager for Electricity North West, said: “Electricity is often taken for granted and it is something we all rely on for every aspect of our daily lives from charging our phones, to streaming our favourite box sets to charging our cars.

“That’s why we are delighted to be launching this scheme which will allow us to inspect miles of power lines and identify any necessary work before it impacts power supplies.

“Our overhead network which includes 1,169 miles of pylon power lines is often located in rural areas and is impacted by severe weather, so this method of checking from the air is a great way of keeping the network in good condition.”

Updates on where the helicopters will be located will be posted on Electricity North West’s Twitter and Facebook pages.