AGEING electricity poles have been replaced by helicopter outside the village of Whitestone near Tedburn St Mary. 

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) decided to use one of its Airbus EC135 helicopters to speed up the removal of two 500-kilogram wooden poles and a transformer from the side of a steep hill. 

“After engineers had turned off the electricity supply and lowered 200 metres of overhead lines, they brought the 65-year-old poles to the ground using chainsaws,” a spokesperson said. 

“One at a time, a line was secured to the fallen poles and the helicopter carefully lifted them to a track at the top of the hill where they were chopped up and removed by a lorry.” 

The helicopter, which is based at Bristol Airport, then lifted the new poles into place. 

NGED Technician Matt Orr, who oversaw the operation, said: “Getting the old poles out and the new ones in, as well as replacing a transformer, would have been a longer and more arduous operation with a greater environmental and financial impact without the helicopter. 

“The helicopter team’s help and experience was invaluable in getting the new equipment into place in a more efficient manner than traditional methods, as well as reducing the amount of time that we had to work on the farmer’s land. 

“It’s great to be able to call on this awesome capability that we have at NGED.” 

NGED also uses its helicopters to patrol overhead lines to look for faults, manage vegetation growth and help engineers working on the ground.