Red balls on the power line are just an aerial indication that there is a power line here. These power lines are usually situated where there is no one around or the places which are far from the main populated cities. They help pilots by indicating to them that there is a power line here.
These power lines which have red balls on top of them are usually found in those areas with smaller airports. You can also find these red balls on power lines which are situated across rivers, canyons, or ravines because in these places the endpoint and the starting point are very far away from each other.
Other Places
Apart from that, these balls are also used in those power lines where aircraft may come frequently like in those mega hospitals with an emergency facility by which they transfer their patient through choppers.
Colors Of These Balls
Usually, red is the most used color, however, the selection of any color for the ball depends on the surrounding landscape. Mainly three colors are used which are red, white and orange.
Why Are They Used For?
As we know these balls are used for indication which helps the aircraft pilots know that there is a power line here. It gives a warning alarm to the pilot so that he can fly his/her aircraft carefully from that region. If there is no indication at these places, there is a very high chance for an accident to happen. By this type of indication, any pilot can deviate their aircraft easily without any confusion.
Reason Behind Red Ball On Power Lines
These balls are also called visibility marker balls, and they assist with making fueling lines more clear to low-flying airplanes like planes and helicopters. However you probably won’t have acknowledged it, you normally spot marker balls close to mountain passes, profound valleys, significant expressway intersections, and air terminals—all places where airplanes will more often than not fly at low elevations.
Size Of These Balls
The breadth of the balls should be somewhere around 36 inches on wires that cross gullies, lakes, and streams. However, it is 20-inch on electrical cables less than 50 feet over the ground level and inside 1500 feet of an air terminal runway end. They ought to be dispersed equitably at about 200-feet stretches along normal wires, and with less space (30-to 50-feet) spans on wires close to runway closes.
If you guys are thinking about the installation process of these balls at such great heights, it is done with the help of a chopper and an expert technician.
Conclusion
So from now if you guys ever see these balls hanging on the power lines, you will know why they are here. These balls are used only for the purpose which is an aerial indication. There is no direct connection of these balls to the electricity, they are only installed to help the aircraft pilots so that they can fly or land their aircraft safely.
