Today's experience of WPD

[flyingsparks]

Been at a regular customer of mine today, who has an engineering business.
They have been having power cuts recently, fairly frequently, approximately one a month for the last 6 months.
Each time it's usually not for very long however it is a serious inconvenience as machines shut down and take time to get going again.
Anyway today I was there and there was a quick 'blip' of about 2 seconds, the boss there says he's had enough and gets an email of complaint sent to WPD...

20 minutes later WPD phone up and explain that it sounds like possibly an insulator is breaking down and every so often this is causing the auto trip at the substation to operate. He is going to arrange for a helicopter to fly over the lines and try to locate the problem..
I must say, I think this is pretty good customer service.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

See if, as the guy's electrician, you can blag a ride on the chopper...

 

[flyingsparks]

Would be brilliant if I could...

Westie- do you get opportunities to go out on the chopper?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

He wishes.

 

[bernardgreen]

See if, as the guy's electrician, you can blag a ride on the chopper...

Just don't offer to lend a hand.......................

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Indeed not.

Stick to climbing ladders.

 

[westie101]

Westie- do you get opportunities to go out on the chopper?

Used to many years ago, but too many of my colleagues started backing out (wimps) so it's all done on contract by helicopter companies.

Flying at low level in parts of the Lake District is superb though.

 

[conny]

Brilliant helicopter skills!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.ameliaslanding.com/images/Videos/2007-7-6-chinookwaterseals.wmv

http://www.ameliaslanding.com/images/Videos/2006-2-13_altitudefive.wmv

http://www.ameliaslanding.com/images/Videos/2008-12-19-HelicopterBottleOpener.wmv

 

[ericmark]

Riding in a helicopter is not all it's made out to be. On the Falklands I got the chance and was asked if I would like to go and look out of the open back door and I like a fool said yes.

Told to put the harness on just is case and having done that made my way down the craft. Unknown to me the load master gave thumbs up to pilot who angled the craft with nose up. I sat down and slid to the door just before I reached it the harness stopped me. Everyone seemed to think it was very funny.

Even without that it was common for the craft not to land and you were told jump. One would sink in the peat until your overnight bag and tool box hit the peat and were stuck there until the BV picked you up.

Believe me when I say rotating wing air craft rides soon lost their appeal.

When an exercise was on the pilots were instructed to get as close as they could without beings spotted by the radar guys spotting them. 70 MPH about 6 foot above the fields is scary. Goodness knows what they did when no civilians on board?

 

[westie101]

Filmed in Germany or Austria if I recall.

We never did anything quite as daft!

The odd 20 mile flight at no more than 30ft (as we had permission to fly that low). But had forgot about a no fly zone so climbed very quickly.

Or along a beach slightly lower than that, well OK half the height, wasn't half a surprise to two girls topless sunbathing when we turned inland, climbed 100ft to clear a cliff and spotted them as we crossed over them

Landed on Sca Fell Pike and left 2 skid marks in the snow on top, always wondered what the first climber up there next made of that as it was just going dusk.

 

[OwainDIYer]

too many of my colleagues started blacking out

There, I corrected that for you.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Landed on Sca Fell Pike and left 2 skid marks in the snow on top

Blimey - were you that scared?

 

[westie101]

Doh. Jetrangers don't ave wheels

Here's one of WPDs

Though they don't use them anymore as the CAA has specified twin engine types fr lowlevel patrol work