What Are Those Balls That Hang on Power Lines?
When you are flying, the conductors and skyline become almost invisible against the terrain—especially the skyline wires . The colored plastic balls hanging on overhead electricity wires are called aerial marker balls, and they are installed along the length of wires to act as a visual warning so low-flying aircraft don’t run into them. They're called visibility marker balls or marker balls. You'll often find them near mountain passes, in the deep valley areas, near major freeway crossings and around airports. They weight about 17 pounds each. The marker balls are placed on power lines to make the conductor crossings visible to aircraft. Overhead wire markers are safety instruments applied to the overhead power lines marking transmission lines and ropeways along the flight path during the day. Markers are often installed on overhead lines near airfields, or at river crossings where there is a possibility of float-equipped...