Take a look at any overhead great power personal line of credit in the US and you ’ll perhaps see a numeral of large yellow , orange , red , or white balls gripping the wires . Some people have speculated that they are weights for the line , weather sensor , or even surveillance systems . However , none of these guesses are correct .
Along with jazzing up an unattractive sight , the determination of the colored balls is to serve as visibleness markers for pilots to make certain airplane do n’t crash into the power lines .
As explain by the electric utility companyEdison International , the US Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) requires these spherical visibility marker to be locate on power lines in sure topographic point where there ’s a higher hazard of a plane pilot program might not make out the hard - to - see obstacle .
Watch out, pylons about. Image credit: Marcel Derweduwen/Shutterstock.com
This is predominately in areas near officious airports , but you ’re also likely to see them in mountain passes , in canyon , over bodies of water , open fields , and near major expressway crossings
It ’s punishing to pick out their size of it from the ground , but the diameter of mark balls is typically big than 91 centimeters ( 36 inches ) , around the size of it of a very large beach orchis , accord to regulationsset out by the FAA . However , smaller 51 - cm ( 20 - in ) balls are allowed on force lines lower than 15 meter ( 50 feet ) .
The flight authority also indicate that the clod are placed on the eminent wire at spaced equally along the wire at close to 61 - metre ( 200 - foot ) interval .
As for the colors , the FAA recommends " aviation Orange River , white , or yellow " balls be used on office lines , perhaps with an " alternating color scheme . “ International Orange River ” is one of the most used , as it ’s a colour ordinarily used in the aerospace manufacture and engineering science because it coiffure distinctly object aside from their surroundings .
Despite their best efforts , it ’s still not unheard of for carpenter’s plane , whirlybird , and drone to collide with world power lines . Late last year , four mass choke after their business jetflew into major power linesand crushed into a San Diego suburb .
So there you have it , another great head of the universe of discourse reply . In a similar nervure , have you ever wondered what that golf hole in the front of boxer short pants is for ? Fortunately , an underclothes brandhas explained the mystery .
