I got a call from an outfit in Connecticut, in a week they needed me to off load and set into place a 9,000 lb. store backup generator at the Home Depot in Idaho Falls. NOT being able to talk with the guys on site, just this stranger "back east", made me, based on past experiences, a little apprehensive. So yesterday I googled the IF HD to get it's address, then Googled Earthed the address and printed it out the resulting image. Then of course I jumped in the plane and aimed straight at IF. That meant I was aimed straight at a 8900=' peak about 15 miles away in the Portnuef Range, usually a 5 or 6 degree course offset allows me to get to IF and only need around 7K to clear a pass, yesterday I was feeling frisky and decided to just make that peak my bitch

Thanks to the nice cold air I was soon passing over it at 9100', and then I realized that there was a sweet little bowl up there, just right for a ski equipped S-7. The only problem was I had taken the skis off the day before, and I'm pretty sure the site is on the Indian Rez, and they get a little testy with non tribal members recreating on their land. Nothing wrong with setting up a faux approach though:

Now clear of the peak it was a 45 mile flight, downhill all the way, to IF. On the outskirts of town I remembered I had a house to set trusses on in the area in a couple days, and only vague directions. So I searched and found what seemed to be the place, one of many in the general area under construction, so I used the smart phone and texted the pic to the contractor for verification, it was the right one, and with the numerous twisty turns this aerial pic will make it easy for me to drive the crane there on the appointed day.

A few minutes later, after checking in with the IF tower as I would be maneuvering about 3 miles away, I found the HD, took my pictures, and got out of there. Once home I got the pics downloaded onto my home computer and got a good look at the jobsite.

See that newly poured concrete slab, in the middle rear of the building? RIGHT UNDERNEATH THOSE BIG ASS POWERLINES Yeah that's right, nobody thought to look up, hard to believe but not the first time I've seen it happen. I emailed the pic to the guy back east, and he is currently scrambling to come up with a solution other then violating OSHA and common sense rules and putting my boom in the wires. And no, I cannot pick and move 9,000 lbs with the boom horizontal, more like a 60/75 degree angle, no way the boom tip would clear those wires! I told him to contact the local utility and likely they can do a temp move of the wires while I'm there, without disrupting the flow of power. Heading back home, and now on the Airstreaks, I dropped in on a few local gravel bars, as I felt I deserved a little fun

Crane job???? Damn...don't you guys have reach forklifts down there?[emoji1]

Here's a local crane job... removing snow from the top of the local box store. Army of guys on top loading bags with snow, crane drops it on ground for front end loader, then into dump trucks...

So, whats that crane operator do while waiting on those guys to shovel another load? Drink coffee, adjust the temp in the heated cab, listen to the sat radio, and play around with his smart phone? That's cake crane work, is my point, and on jobs like that I still struggle with feeling guilty, sitting on my ass watching others bust theirs, but I put my time in doing real work I guess. My turn to kick back a bit I suppose, still seems weird sometimes, but a good weird.

Reach forklifts? Yeah we have them, but one that can extend out and over the things in the way with 9K is not in the cards. Most are good for 4 to 8 maybe, but right close in not while extended. Still, I agree GB that may be the best way to go here. As of now the "plan" is for me to show up Tuesday and offload it from the semi, while the big brain boys (the same guys who failed to notice the overhead power lines in the first place) come up with an alternative.

I got ya cg, couldn't pass up a chance to jerk your chain a little.

We got interested in a 50 ton Grove, briefly. Then I researched the requirements set forth by OSHA for machine and operator certification. Good idea I guess, but not feasible for our little outfit who might hire on to do a job twice a year. So the notion passed.

Looks like a decent gig in the real world. You're right, it is hard to sit on your ass in the cab and watch guys work...until you think about all the BS you put up with for pride of ownership. There's not a lot of room left for the mom and pop operation.

They unloaded two van loads of hispanic guys to get up there and shovel. I'm sure the crane wasn't waiting too long.

Of course, they also sell snowblowers... Get 20 of those in line?

Got 'er done today, and thanks to the previous heads up I got from flying over earlier, there were no surprises. As expected, the boom tip was going to be too close, I stopped 14' away and made the call to the utility and 30 minutes later they had a crew there to "wrap" the lines. Just some plastic snap on things, and as important they provided me with moral support, one in the bucket and one on the ground, telling me repeatably I could go closer, closer and closer, until the gen set was where it needed to be. We ended up 4' from the lines, 20,000 volts I think he said. They charged us $100.00 for their time, and this was paid by the main contractor and was pretty much expected and not a surprise, again thanks to the plane. I'm proud I resisted the impulse, as I got closer and closer to the line, to suddenly scream, grab my chest and shake violently with my eyeballs rolled back in my head


Tomorrow I set trusses on a job site I spotted from the air, took a picture, and dropped it off the next day (by car) along with a biz card. Got a call and the job a week later, I can't afford to quit flying, it sure as hell pays for itself.

Here is a pick from last Week. I know the feeling of guilt and powerlines. We consistently make picks around 115 and 230kv lines at the hydro projects. This job was with the 240ton Grove, picking some traveling water screens. I love my job!

Crane porn! Yeah, I joke about spending my work day in a small narrow, just wide enough for one person, compartment, pushing levers around. Then I get in the tandem seat S-7 and do the exact same thing in my off time

Most of the crane operators I worked with up north just slept. Seven 12s takes it out of a guy you know? So they show up at 6AM pick up a 60,000 lb valve swing it into place then pass out for two hours.

I don't know Tom, looks like it got placed kinda crooked.