May 18, 2020 — Tomorrow, Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) will be conducting aerial line inspections across its service territory. Mountain Blade Runner of Montrose will conduct the patrol by helicopter.
Work will start at 8:00 a.m., in Montrose, and the flight pattern will proceed to Delta, Surface Creek, and Cedaredge, then through the North Fork Valley, and return to Montrose. The inspections are expected to conclude by mid-afternoon.
Aerial line patrol is conducted regularly as part of DMEA’s system reliability program, which helps ensure safe and reliable delivery of power to the homes and businesses in Montrose and Delta counties. In total, DMEA will inspect more than 160 miles of power lines across all portions of the service territory. Members may see and hear the inspection process, as the flights are typically low flying to allow for visual inspections.
“Because of the lower flight pattern, members will most likely see Mountain Blade Runner throughout the day. This is important and necessary work to ensure our grid remains reliable,” said Troy Hall, DMEA Operations Manager.
Riding along with the pilot will be DMEA linemen looking for potential problems with lines and equipment on DMEA’s system before they cause power outages. They will also use thermal imaging to identify “hot spots.” Excess heat can signify areas that need attention because equipment with even minor damage or wear will heat up.
