I'm doing 11-hour work days, as my riggers chase the sun by getting a head start in the morning and staying late every night.
I don't think they'll catch it (omigawd, do you even want to guess what a serious high-steel guy would do with the Sun? I'm suspecting it would involve Bloody Marys on a morning between jobs, but let's hope that and a really good tan is as far as it would go) but they are giving it quite a run -- and so far, very much by the book, on the bounce, everything all laid out, lined up and double-checked.
Tower guys like to be thought of as a rough lot, and many crews are not just rough but raw. Not these guys. On the job, they are on the job.
I can only look on and wish them all success and safety. --And look forward to stealing another night's sleep while the automatic posting timer ticks down on this'n.
BUILDING A 1:1 BALUN
4 years ago
6 comments:
Sounds like you've got your hands full! I've always been impressed by the tower guys - saw an episode of World's Toughest Fixes where they swapped out the antenna at the top of a 2000 foot tower - what a fantastic job to have (or at least when things are going right)
Racist. it's "Regroes".
When i took my apprenticeship at Inland a certain amount of high iron was involved, and though I never got above say 150 feet, it was the part of the job I liked very least. Someone else could have all of that, as far as I was concerned. Now I try not to be any taller than I have to be.
Part of the trick is to be able to concentrate on what you are doing, while remaining cognizant of the danger and taking the appropriate precautions. And having a lanyard on everything, every single thing that went up with you.
WV: Swallia. If you fall from great height, the earth will open up and swallia.
All of the people I have known that worked heights had one thing in common through either foolishness of faith they had no fear of death.
PR: You have not met the crews I have known; with the exception of one batch of ex-cons out of Oklahoma, they have all been very attentive to safety and mindful of their climbing equipment.
It is very risky work and crews are generally men either just starting out or starting over. The work is a harsh sieve but it's not usually fatal falls that do the sorting. There's just one less shows up at the jobsite in the morning, gone suddenly too sober with fear or not sober enough to arrive. The good ones are gems and if it's some guy rebooting his life, good for him; all I judge them by is how well they do the work.
Fear of death and welcoming death are not the same. You have probably noticed a calm resolve in the best of these workers along with a lust for life. It's a little like the calm you see in the best martial artists. Neither group have anything to prove to anyone else.
(1) --Even without knowing the load weight, I'll guess the tree is substantial. If it was planted on purpose for a chore like this, somebody showed a lot of foresight. :)
(2) -- If your broadcasting gig doesn't work out, you have a fine future as cargo boss on an attack transport.
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