Common dangers


While most TVA air fleet hires bring previous experience, they need plenty of specialized continued training. Training includes three tiers: technical, human performance, and professional development, Hammond related. Every pilot and mechanic attends factory school training at least annually and flight safety training at least twice annually. Dunker training is scheduled for everyone this year.


“Anything they can find that will make them a better person, we’ll send them,” Hammond added. For example, a couple pilots are interested in NTSB investigations training so they’ll get that this year, too.


The flight program has IS-BAO Stage 1 certification and will get its Stage 2 audit this year. All pilots are safety officers, and mechanics have a ground safety officer.


“We’re very good at risk management,” Hammond said. “It’s not a very dangerous environment, but it’s very unforgiving if something goes wrong.”


The biggest danger is wire strikes, Hammond said. Another is static electricity when linemen are transferring from helicopter benches to towers. Linemen must carry a large-gauge wire called a ‘bond’ and attach it to the deactivated power line when transferring to the tower, then clip it back on the helicopter when transferring back.


Losing power while hovering around transmission towers is another danger. Most of the row is cleared enough to allow rotorcraft to drop and land in a 30-foot area. If not, the linemen have to climb the towers instead of transferring from a helicopter.


TVA helicopter flies over the Colbert Fossil Plant in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. 56 Mar/Apr 2019


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