Highline daredevils - November 5, 2002
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A maintenance crew has been repairing highlines wires along I-39 near Minonk. The
crew consists of helicopter pilot Steve Chilton from Alabama and two maintenance workers, Larry Gramm from Michigan
and Greg Robbins from Ohio. The maintenance workers take turns going up in the helicopter. They work for the Haverfield Corporation out of Gettysburg, PA which is one of
the few companies in the world that works on highline wires out of a helicopter suspended in midair.
A maintenance worker is strapped to a ramp attached below the helicopter.
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The helicopter then flies to a
highline pole and hovers over it while the worker on the ramp attaches a pulley or roller for pulling in new
lines. The old lines have been damaged by lightning strikes and are broken in many places. After the pulley is
attached a ground crew will string up new lines through the roller. After that is complete, the helicopter workers
go back up and remove the rollers from the pole.
I asked pilot Steve Chilton if he ever gets nervous up there. He said that the crew makes sure he doesn't
have too many beers the night before. The crew has been covered on television by the Discovery Channel.
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Helicopter pilot Steve Chilton and one of his co-workers Larry Gramm pose before they take off for
the highlines.
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Liftoff for Gregg Robbins.
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Steve and Greg fly off toward the highline poles.
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The helicopter hovers over the highline pole while a worker attaches a roller to the pole.
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2002 Photo index
To see a particular set of photos just click on the date from the list below.
Photos home
2001 photos
January 6, 2002 - Racoon on a highline wire
January 13, 2002 - Grade School time capsule
January 20, 2002 - Grain truck, country walkers, woodpecker
January 27, 2002 - Ice storm
February 3, 2002 - Eagle, Knight, and ponies
February 10, 2002 - Dog walker and Locust Street
February 16, 2002 - Republican dinner
February 24, 2002 - Grade school, sunset, florist
March 3, 2002 - DAR member, Heinie and Bertha
March 10, 2002 - March snow
March 17, 2002 - Lonely road and squirrel
March 24, 2002 - Balanced eggs and Dollar General site
March 30, 2002 - Easter egg hunt
April 7, 2002 - Easter bunny and big snowflakes
April 14, 2002 - Transplanted trees and new grade school
April 21, 2002 - Cleanup junk and dog
April 28, 2002 - Fox, birds and forsythia bush
May 5, 2002 - Dogwood tree and rose breasted grosbeaks
May 12, 2002 - Tulips, pavilion, and rosaries
May 18, 2002 - Volunteers clean streets
May 26, 2002 - Flooded field, squirrel, Dollar General store
June 2, 2002 - Shirley barth, grade school, and big tractor
June 9, 2002 - Field fires, wildflowers, and chestnut blossoms
June 16, 2002 - Tulip tree blossom, irises, and Masonic Temple roof
June 23, 2002 - Rain storm
June 30, 2002 - Fourth of July celebration
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Photos home
July 7, 2002 - Corn measurers, swallows, and the Johnsons
July 14, 2002 - Our trip out west
July 21, 2002 - Cabbage head, borrow pond, pond lily
July 28, 2002 - Lena Folkerts 105th birthday
August 4, 2002 - Chipping machine, laying tile, musician
August 11, 2002 - Wildflowers, yellow moths, Mayor cutting ribbon
August 18, 2002 - Antique mall, garden produce, dog walkers
August 25, 2002 - Frog, dog, and classroom
September 1, 2002 - Tire changer, German coin, and cats
September 8, 2002 - Trap shooters and tomato plant
September 18, 2002 - Chinese visitors to the Johnson Farm
September 22, 2002 - Bushness family, mailbox, and cats
September 29, 2002 - Scenes after a rainstorm
October 6, 2002 - Harvest scenes and roadside trash
October 13, 2002 - Wildflowers along tracks
October 20, 2002 - Big tractor, new cop car, big bluestem prairie grass
October 28, 2002 - Dog, IOOF building, and tombstone
October 30, 2002 - Halloween party
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