CL&P Conducts Helicopter Inspection of Transmission Lines Today

A press release from CL&P:

The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) is taking its ground-based transmission inspections to the air.  In order to maintain electric system reliability, the company will be conducting an aerial inspection of selected transmission line equipment over the eastern Connecticut region today, July 25, 2012.  

A low-flying, blue and gray helicopter with tail numbers N39MK will be patrolling the area as part of CL&P’s new use of photographic technology to identify potential trouble spots early, before they pose a threat to customer service reliability.  The aircraft will hover between 50 and 100 feet above transmission structures.

Special photography equipment will be used to capture images not visible to the naked eye.  These images will identify the early stages of possible damage to transmission line insulators.  These inspections have been conducted from the ground in the past.  Inspecting insulators from the air will increase the number of inspections completed in a day while reducing our impact on ground, resulting in cost and environmental benefits.

CL&P routinely carries out helicopter inspections for overgrown or damaged vegetation, infrared imaging to locate “hot spots” and visual post-storm transmission structure inspection.

Flights are scheduled from 8 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m.  All flights are weather permitting; adverse flying conditions will require rescheduling of the flights.

The flights will cover the following Connecticut communities:
Andover, Bozrah, Columbia, East Haddam, East Lyme, Franklin, Glastonbury, Hebron, Lebanon, Lyme, Manchester, Montville and New London.

Customers with questions or concerns related to this work may call CL&P’s Transmission Information Line at 1-800-793-2202, or send an e-mail to TransmissionInfo@nu.com.