A couple of weeks ago (May of 2022) a tremendous storm rolled through South Dakota, and brought this grand tower down. It was a sad day for the handful of men who have made memories on this structure over the years, me included. I've been in this industry since 1983, and actually work with the guys who made this video. Back in the 80s Todd (the video editor) )and I worked with a guy named Kenny Jackson. He'd been at it for years, and was a prototype of the guys who were in the industry back then, absolutely rough & tumble. He'd never have made it in today's more buttoned-down tower world. But he was just what you would have imagined of a tower climber back then. He was also of Caribbean descent, and had some pretty funny idioms. For instance, his warnings were generally of three varieties: "You do that, you'll be good & dead." "You do that, you'll be plenty dead." And, "You do that, you'll be deader than hell!" One slow day I asked him what was the difference between good & dead, plenty dead, and deader than hell. I don’t think that the thought about it for more than a couple of seconds, then a grin spread across his face. “Good & dead is when someone drops something off the tower and it hits you. Plenty dead is when you fall off the tower far enough to die.” Then, widening his eyes, he solemnly told us, “But deader than hell is when you fall from so high that they have to dig your ass up before they can bury you!” Everyone just fell on the ground, laughing. All these years and stories later, this remains one of my all-time favorites. I’m glad no one was working this tower when it went down. They’d surely have ended up “deader than hell!”
Great story, lol. I’ve looked into doing this before, but can never seem to find an accurate pay scale. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and employment sites indicate $37k-97k, with a median wage of $60k ($29/hour). That seems a bit low for the risks. Is it accurate?
They can't use parachutes, as the shute would get tangled up in the diagonal support cables that keep the tower from collapsing, which would'nt be a problem when jumping from a skyscraper like what basejumpers do all the time... It's possible to avoid the cables if you jump in the right direction (but still not %100 safe), but when you fall off this is usually not the case :) Look carefully at the support cables at 1:35, it's pretty hard to open a shute and make it down without it getting tangled on those cables... Also, since they use double safely lines, chances of falling off are almost zero...
@ Not true. Just watched a video where Bear Grillis jumped off a 400’ foot bridge along with his son and another person. Even I thought that was risky as hell as it can take a chute too long to fully open.
@@DMDvideo10 If it was a useable safety precaution, even if it will not guarantee safety due to entanglement, all these climbing technicians would be wearing one, and yet none of them ever do :) that says enough no ?
@@HPPalmtopTube i mean just jump between the cables, theres like three 120 degree clear zones between the 3 set of cables, and the parachute doesn't even need to be safety reasons, just a faster way to get down, lol
While I am retired now, I used to be an Ironworker. My grandfather was, my father was, my sons are not. (RN and Genetic scientist) We built bridges, towers, tower cranes and high rise buildings. I spent 25 years at it before changing to a trade more suitable to an older man. Most tower erectors have a light bulb changing service, but occasionally we would get a call to change one. I remember doing it twice. Most towers are not that tall. That one I guessed to be a mid-west area TV tower. I looked and sure enough it was. TV service is a triangle. The higher you go, the farther you reach. Those spikes reaching up above the lamp assembly are lightning arrestors. Note that the tips are charred black from the strikes. Oddly enough, when you are up really high like that, you know it is dangerous, but it just seems surreal and peaceful. He picked a fine day for it, as there seems to be very little wind.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences. I am surprised no one else has liked or responded to your comment. I hope you enjoy your retirement, sir.
God bless you sure I look up to men like y’all I’m 20 years old and I work for asplundh (a tree service ñ) doing line clearing Im using the knowledge that I’ll gain from this job to become a lineman
the more kilowatts you have, the further the signal reaches .. old CB-Radio Operator wisdom.. proofed since 1980 . Watts simply replace height and antenna technology
If on the Carlsbad Caverns bridge pasted : The Bottomless Pit ; look up to see what looks like a 60/W . That light is in fact an electrical fixture fixed upon a carbonate stone cave ceiling. Holding eight toxic fragile glass lamps each of which are twelve feet long. I helped climb the cave wall up to that fixture with one replacement lamp and help bring the dead lamp down. Assisting a US Park Service Ranger was a private party of seven National Speleological Society members who volunteered. To learn how many people it takes to see the light.
My dad had a radio station in Provo Utah with a 185 foot tower. I changed the lights on it one day (58 years ago) for the princely sum of $20. My dad watched me go to 60 feet and then walked into the radio station. I never saw him again till I got down. He said as soon as I started climbing, he regretted it hired me, and he wasn't going to watch me fall if I fell! Quite an experience - - 185 feet seems quite high, but this 1500 footer is incredible!
@@Carbon_Fiber I was a radio operator in the National Guard at the time. I had a pole climbing strap that was sort of like a safety belt. However, as I came to the 1st guy wire, it wass too difficult to keep on hitching it, so I did the last 120 feet without a safety belt. How stupid can you be at 20!
As someone who has climbed a 516 foot tower to fit new antennae, I can assure you that going up is tiring but easy. The big issue is coming down and resisting the impulse to look down. Looking down will completley freak your mind out.
From my experience, the worst part is the pain in your feet from climbing and putting all your weight on such a small part of the foot if you're using a small footprint ladder as this guy is. His feet will be hurting for a week.
With drones getting better, a partner can hang a tool from one and fly it up to him... I'd like to be the partner but no way in hell I'm climbing higher than 5 feet off the ground, I HATE heights... Those that walk on those glass floors way the hell up on top of skyscrapers or use that glass slide they just built are, in my opinion.. inSANE in the memBRANE...
@@eronacalloway9159 If you knew what the operating costs of a heli and the pilot are, then it would make more sense. Not to mention the danger of landing a worker on the tower, that risk is incredibly high, not necessary at all. The climb is virtually risk free, if done right
I visited the CN tower in Toronto, Canada. On the deck, we have the floor made of thick glass tiles. When you look down, you will see the ground level a couple of hundred feet below. I decided to sit on the glass floor instead of standing as if three feet will make any difference. My fear of heights is so bad. Most part of the flights I take, I am really scared. I lose sense of time and my IQ level drops 50 points because of anxiety. Simple crossword or trivia games on airline entertainment system become huge issues for me. Look at this guy climbing an impossible tower and looking all right. Brave man.
I've been there and stood on it myself. I am also pretty scared of heights but I was amused to see a bloke in front of me tapping the glass with his foot before he stood on it. There were already several people standing on the glass so I'm not sure what his little foot tap told him. It does feel like a long way down and that's about 1100' rather than 1500', not that it's any more dangerous.
@@joshuarosen6242 Actually, I stepped on the glass floor softly so that I don't become the last straw on the camel's back and end up breaking the glass.
The Beast Saftey Equipment he has a vagina ??? Haha Please dude just stay with your video games people who are doing this kind off stuff are having massive balls.
Bird Place he also forgot that antenna climbers have one of the highest fatality rates of any profession in the US so much for having vaginas on a job that will kill you even with equipment.
I used to work for Steel & Tank Service Co. and this really brings back the memories! We mostly did water tanks but did maintenance on the towers in the wet months. I never climbed a 1500 foot tower though. My record was around 700 feet.
When I was in college in Washington, D.C. (back in the Pleistocene) I worked as an area tower beacon light changer. And most of the towers were well over 1000 feet and most were guy wire stabilized. The pay was astronomical but the hazards equally breathtaking. All I had to do was change a single beacon and I was flush with cash for a month, at least. All it took was a good recommendation from one station and all the other stations started calling.
I know it looks both dangerous and terrifying but is it actually dangerous? I used to climb and I've climbed with way more sketchy protection than this. He had a karabiner on a cow's tail at all times and great hand and foot holds so it's hard to see what could have gone that wrong. When you're leading a climb and placing your own protection it's a lot more dangerous and you only have to fall 20m to die so height doesn't really make a difference except to how tired you get.
That must have been dangerous with all the ice, judging from the Pleistocene era, that is. I'm so old, I was born in a hospital in DC (Providence) that doesn't even exist anymore.
There isn't enough money in the world to make me do this. Amazed that there are people who take on this risk, and who love the job. We all owe you much gratitude. Most people never give one thought to what it takes for them to have cell phone service and TV service. :)
This video is absolutely amazing. I have viewed these towers and often wondered about the people who need to climb them. Now I know. The person in this video looks perfectly relaxed performing this task. It gives me the WILLIE'S just watching this guy up there on my smartphone. I really must take my hat off and applaud this person and others like him who can do something like this. WOW.
You have to love your job to do this kind of work ! Having climbed tall trees to do work in my youth , this takes it to another level ! Also , the building of the Empire State Building and the men who walked the beams , without being tethered , is one that sends chills up my back every time I watch it !
I used to work for a midwestern distributor of tower, parts, waveguide, etc. for the construction and maintenance of AM and FM (including TV) broadcast systems. There were men who specialized in maintenance - mainly changing light bulbs in the warning lamps - who were paid $5/foot for however high they had to climb - and this was in the early 1980s.
chance of falling yes, chance of dying very slim because 99% of all that do this have at least one of the 2 safety hooks attached at all time, when they change location of the hooks they remove one and leave the other until they attached the other one again. Falling is a possibility yes but falling to your death not so much.
Terrifying. My palms were sweating just watching. Then consider that the tallest building, Burj Khalifa, is another 1200' taller than that! Even indoors I don't think I could stand it.
It's not a crash helmet. It's to protect from falling overhead objects which could injure or render him unconscious. If you knew anything about construction or the trades, this comment would be irrelevant.
Since there is a double safety line it's very unlikely he would just fall to his death, it's to prevent head injuries if he falls/slips or take a misstep and falls 1m down...
Technically . . . hitting the ground doesn't kill you either. The loss of function in your internal organs after the EXPLOSION of them impacting your skeletal frame from the inertia gained DURING the fall is what will kill you. js
Thank you Prairie Aerial for uploading this incredible video. Thank you Mr. Schmidt for your amazing confidence and strength. Thanks also to the Thorins for some excellent cinematography and videography.
Caves seen to be horrifying but actually they are prettt fun to explore. I did it and wow it was a heck of a time. There was also water so I had to swim through tunnels and hope I had enough air, but the instructor taught us to hold our breath really well so we were all fine.
It’s not the height....it’s the swaying that would freak me out. That sway goes a few feet in every direction.....ur mind would always get tricked that the tower is gonna fall over. There is no getting used to that
I started doing this work right out of highschool. Those days we would free climb them. We had a tie off safety strap we used when we needed both hands to work. 10 years of that in all sorts of weather in the upper Great plains was enough for me. Tallest one I was ever on was the 1200' Omega Navigation tower @ La Moore, North Dakota. Started out at $10.00hr and topped at $25.00hr.
Someone had to figure out just the right kind of steel to use with the right kinds of other elements in the right proportions with the right balance of hardness and flexibility to achieve such massive compressive strength.
Very good, that man always maintained at least three points of contact. 1) a foot 2) a hand 3) a safety tether This is the same principle people need to use when ascending or descending stairs. Always hold the hand rail because you never know if you will slip and fall.
I put even money on there's a helicopter rescue on call or on site because you can't hang from a harness very long before medical complications start to be an issue. Thank you. Great video though, huh?
@@wlsnpndrvs8593. WRONG. The harness is very comfortable and can be sat in for hours (an 8 - 10+ hour shift) at a time. Before you make such a lame statement, you need to know what you are talking about.
@@james1795 i won't capitalize wrong, but have you taken MSHA mine rescue classes? then i question your credential to make your challenge to my comment valid. I'm a pro. all you do, is just watch youtube. the lame statement is yours, unless you are educated. p. s. thrombosis and septic blood.
@@wlsnpndrvs8593 You have it correct, sir. You can WORK comfortably in a harness all day long, but you sure can't HANG in one, for the very reasons you cited. Especially if the reason you are hanging rendered you unconscious. Good companies ensure that every crew truck is equipped with a rescue kit, and every climber is trained and refreshed at least annually in tower rescue technique. Unless the crew travels with a helicopter (like that could ever happen), the likelihood of a helicopter being close enough to perform the rescue before the worker died is so remote that my might as well consider it impossible. Likewise, when the very skilled local fire department shows up with a 100' (or less) truck-mounted ladder, and your worker is hanging at 300', you realize that it is up to the rest of the crew to perform the rescue.
I’ve climbed these monster toothpicks in the sky. Of course I was 175 pounds, young and in great shape. Today I have trouble making it up and down a flight of stairs. To let everyone know, at the top, it sways back and forth about 4 feet depending on any breezes.
@J They're probably fine.... Speaking as someone who did the same. You aren't abusing your body in an extreme way, especially if you are in shape. You likely do more damage to your back/hips/knees working on a construction site on the ground . This isn't to say its not easy
Outstanding. It shows the promise of drone tech in the context of capturing imagery that otherwise would be too expensive or dangerous to get. I understand why the FAA set the ceiling at 400', but I can't see an issue with missions like this, involving a stationary object, as long a maximum radius from that object is not exceeded.
Timothy Kelly That's right, we consulted with pilots of regular aircraft about the clearances around a structure and found we had a 500' area to all sides of the structure, including above the structure. Although helicopters and paragliders can come closer than 500', there were no operations of that sort in the area. So we figured that space was ours to use even though it is above the traditional 400' limit - which is not a regulation by the way.The proposed small UAV rules give a 500' ceiling that will be a regulation, but I hope to see a variance for tower inspecting that will allow us to use the 500' clearance area around a structure as we did here.
Timothy Kelly Yes, an exception in the height limit is justified in cases like this since no conventional aircraft should be anywhere near a tower. The guy wires spread out a considerable distance and would be hard for a pilot to see. And no reason for a plane to be below 2000-ft if not landing or taking off and towers like this are not put near airports.
In the hands of trained professionals, drones are a much safer way to do needed inspections or TV news coverage than using climbers or helicopters. It's the irresponsible amateurs who will be the problem.
I'm still waiting for some idiot to fly one in the engine of commercial jet. Plane spotting is huge and you just know that somebody will eventually try and get that once in a lifetime footage of a plane taking off, or landing. I hope not but people never let you down.
The view from up there is amazing and you get quite a workout climbing a tower. I've been up to 400 feet. Once you get past 70 feet it's all the same thing because a 70 foot fall is the distance it takes to ensure a clean death. Above that it just doesn't matter except the higher you go, the longer you have to contemplate your mistake if you should fall.
Nitty BlahBlah every job has some inherent health risk, none are worth losing your life over. So most people aren’t paid enough for the hazards they are exposed to. If you have to work for a living then yes, you are forced.
It goes to show you how smart the designers of this tower are. I would think a nice wide base is what you would need to keep this tower stable. But instead, for reasons I don't understand, the base comes down to about the circumference of a quarter (being facetious). Seriously though, a narrow base and some steel cables is what is holding this thing up. Amazing!!
I wonder if it is possible to make a cage that uses a device like a rope ascender that rides up the guy wire, thus avoiding most of the climb and getting the job done faster.
Yep, for these towers, it’s all about the guy wires, which essentially create enormous compression on the tower base and hold it very rigidly. Even so, if you look up the wire, it’s curved into a catenary.
People like this never get the respect they deserve. The little things we take for granted only continue to work because of people willing to do these kind of jobs. Respect to this gentleman, I'm comfy at ground level.
I'm always amazed at the fearless people in this world. I was getting butterflies just looking at the wide angle shots. Sending prayers for your continued safety.
Mountain Echo LOL! Well, as much as everyone appreciates your wisdom and insight, the FAA, several type-ratings and multiple logbooks would prove just how wrong you are. Go back to Xbox
@@randyporter3491 Haha, Listen close bob. You are to heavy to ride on the back of a sparrow. Also the faa has only kept log books in Braille. We can clearly see that you are not blind. Now swab the head until it whistles me old son.
I have trouble changing my first story eaves troughs...I absolutely think this is amazing. I cannot fathom how someone can just go up and do that. So impressed.
I've done that on a 600 foot tower, and that was bad enough, after about 400 feet it really makes no difference, but it is scary just how much the towers like that move and sway and wobble. (and how much effort it takes to climb them)..
I used to fly helicopters without the doors and sometimes stuck my head out for a better view and felt every bit as secure as on the ground. Climbing up a fire tower or even riding in an elevator with a glass wall and I get vertigo, like some force is puling on me.If I had to, I probably could climb up that tower and I can;t think of any reason in hell to do so.
Whenever I see these, I just wonder why they aren't built with some sort of track or pulley system to raise and lower the light? We don't climb flagpoles to change flags.
Yes - I take a "selfie" on all tower jobs. Also have the same type of OSHA gear Kevin Schmidt uses. It offers 100% "tie-off" at all times. Thanks, James
I climbed a ladder today to change the kitchen lightbulb, and I didnt even cry.
Guys like me and Kevin are a rare breed!
LOL funny
Omg I climbed up one stair step and didn’t cry
Mark you've got balls of steel.
@@dylannnnnnnnn Thanks man!
@Yes sireee Bob Thats true, but lets not sell Kevin short. He did pretty darn well.
A couple of weeks ago (May of 2022) a tremendous storm rolled through South Dakota, and brought this grand tower down. It was a sad day for the handful of men who have made memories on this structure over the years, me included. I've been in this industry since 1983, and actually work with the guys who made this video.
Back in the 80s Todd (the video editor) )and I worked with a guy named Kenny Jackson. He'd been at it for years, and was a prototype of the guys who were in the industry back then, absolutely rough & tumble. He'd never have made it in today's more buttoned-down tower world. But he was just what you would have imagined of a tower climber back then. He was also of Caribbean descent, and had some pretty funny idioms. For instance, his warnings were generally of three varieties: "You do that, you'll be good & dead." "You do that, you'll be plenty dead." And, "You do that, you'll be deader than hell!"
One slow day I asked him what was the difference between good & dead, plenty dead, and deader than hell. I don’t think that the thought about it for more than a couple of seconds, then a grin spread across his face. “Good & dead is when someone drops something off the tower and it hits you. Plenty dead is when you fall off the tower far enough to die.” Then, widening his eyes, he solemnly told us, “But deader than hell is when you fall from so high that they have to dig your ass up before they can bury you!”
Everyone just fell on the ground, laughing. All these years and stories later, this remains one of my all-time favorites. I’m glad no one was working this tower when it went down. They’d surely have ended up “deader than hell!”
have any pictures?
@@mikemcwilliams7801 Video coming soon...
降落傘不能背上去嗎
its good that's it down. it didnt get used anymore
Great story, lol. I’ve looked into doing this before, but can never seem to find an accurate pay scale. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and employment sites indicate $37k-97k, with a median wage of $60k ($29/hour). That seems a bit low for the risks. Is it accurate?
I feel like a parachute should be part of his toolkit.
They can't use parachutes, as the shute would get tangled up in the diagonal support cables that keep the tower from collapsing, which would'nt be a problem when jumping from a skyscraper like what basejumpers do all the time... It's possible to avoid the cables if you jump in the right direction (but still not %100 safe), but when you fall off this is usually not the case :)
Look carefully at the support cables at 1:35, it's pretty hard to open a shute and make it down without it getting tangled on those cables...
Also, since they use double safely lines, chances of falling off are almost zero...
@
Not true. Just watched a video where Bear Grillis jumped off a 400’ foot bridge along with his son and another person. Even I thought that was risky as hell as it can take a chute too long to fully open.
@@HPPalmtopTube Sorry I'd rather have a parachute and risk entanglement than splatting on the ground...
@@DMDvideo10 If it was a useable safety precaution, even if it will not guarantee safety due to entanglement, all these climbing technicians would be wearing one, and yet none of them ever do :) that says enough no ?
@@HPPalmtopTube i mean just jump between the cables, theres like three 120 degree clear zones between the 3 set of cables, and the parachute doesn't even need to be safety reasons, just a faster way to get down, lol
I built and climbed these for 15 yrs. Took me all over the world. Best veiw ever
How did you get into that industry?
How long it takes to climb it
@@simonpeterhutchinson did you ever find out?
While I am retired now, I used to be an Ironworker. My grandfather was, my father was, my sons are not. (RN and Genetic scientist) We built bridges, towers, tower cranes and high rise buildings. I spent 25 years at it before changing to a trade more suitable to an older man. Most tower erectors have a light bulb changing service, but occasionally we would get a call to change one. I remember doing it twice. Most towers are not that tall. That one I guessed to be a mid-west area TV tower. I looked and sure enough it was. TV service is a triangle. The higher you go, the farther you reach. Those spikes reaching up above the lamp assembly are lightning arrestors. Note that the tips are charred black from the strikes.
Oddly enough, when you are up really high like that, you know it is dangerous, but it just seems surreal and peaceful. He picked a fine day for it, as there seems to be very little wind.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences. I am surprised no one else has liked or responded to your comment. I hope you enjoy your retirement, sir.
wow
God bless you sure I look up to men like y’all I’m 20 years old and I work for asplundh (a tree service ñ) doing line clearing Im using the knowledge that I’ll gain from this job to become a lineman
the more kilowatts you have, the further the signal reaches .. old CB-Radio Operator wisdom.. proofed since 1980 . Watts simply replace height and antenna technology
If on the Carlsbad Caverns bridge pasted : The Bottomless Pit ; look up to see what looks like a 60/W .
That light is in fact an electrical fixture fixed upon a carbonate stone cave ceiling. Holding eight toxic
fragile glass lamps each of which are twelve feet long. I helped climb the cave wall up to that fixture
with one replacement lamp and help bring the dead lamp down. Assisting a US Park Service Ranger
was a private party of seven National Speleological Society members who volunteered. To learn how
many people it takes to see the light.
My dad had a radio station in Provo Utah with a 185 foot tower. I changed the lights on it one day (58 years ago) for the princely sum of $20. My dad watched me go to 60 feet and then walked into the radio station. I never saw him again till I got down. He said as soon as I started climbing, he regretted it hired me, and he wasn't going to watch me fall if I fell! Quite an experience - - 185 feet seems quite high, but this 1500 footer is incredible!
Nice story, i can't imagine the feeling from your dad, or from you. Respect that you did it!
Your dad owned a commercial radio station? Or was he an amateur radio operator? 185 foot tower is up up there!
Just to put it in perspective, that's taller than the Empire State Building! Not by much, but still taller.
When the wind blows, and the rain feels cold, I'm just about a moonlight mile, on down the road.
@@Carbon_Fiber I was a radio operator in the National Guard at the time. I had a pole climbing strap that was sort of like a safety belt. However, as I came to the 1st guy wire, it wass too difficult to keep on hitching it, so I did the last 120 feet without a safety belt. How stupid can you be at 20!
.."is the picture any better Ma"
This comment needs more 👍 lmao 😂😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣
..."better picture son...but there's nothing worth watching on channel 5"....
No
😂😂😂
As an Ironworker I climbed a 1,000 foot TV tower in Mishawaka, IN. I was working for Tesco Tower Co.
As someone who has climbed a 516 foot tower to fit new antennae, I can assure you that going up is tiring but easy. The big issue is coming down and resisting the impulse to look down. Looking down will completley freak your mind out.
I did that only 300 ft windy day I would look down and the center of the tower would sway out of sight !
From my experience, the worst part is the pain in your feet from climbing and putting all your weight on such a small part of the foot if you're using a small footprint ladder as this guy is. His feet will be hurting for a week.
Tony B How long do you estimate it would it take to climb this 1500' tower?
@@zoots15 I was also curious to know how long that would take
@@zoots15 About 25 minutes if he climbs at one foot per second.
That moment when he realizes that the tools are still in his truck
good one..😁....or he is "reminded" that he probably undercooked his eggs this morning😫
With drones getting better, a partner can hang a tool from one and fly it up to him... I'd like to be the partner but no way in hell I'm climbing higher than 5 feet off the ground, I HATE heights...
Those that walk on those glass floors way the hell up on top of skyscrapers or use that glass slide they just built are, in my opinion.. inSANE in the memBRANE...
John Franklin 😂😂😂😂
John Franklin what a wuss, wouldn't climb a 1500' tall radio tower with very little safety equipment... I would totally do that... for sure...
Yea, or he drops the lightbulb. Woops.
Climber ....Kevin Schmidt.
Pilot....Joseph Thorin
Editing......Todd Thorin
Toilet paper......Angel Soft
Eric Keller LOL
Eric Keller .....seems that a Helicopter Ride to the top would of been quicker.
@@eronacalloway9159 «would have»
@@eronacalloway9159 If you knew what the operating costs of a heli and the pilot are, then it would make more sense. Not to mention the danger of landing a worker on the tower, that risk is incredibly high, not necessary at all. The climb is virtually risk free, if done right
Had anyone played the exlax cookies prank on Kevin yet? It's a long way down to make a Boom Boom
I visited the CN tower in Toronto, Canada. On the deck, we have the floor made of thick glass tiles. When you look down, you will see the ground level a couple of hundred feet below. I decided to sit on the glass floor instead of standing as if three feet will make any difference. My fear of heights is so bad. Most part of the flights I take, I am really scared. I lose sense of time and my IQ level drops 50 points because of anxiety. Simple crossword or trivia games on airline entertainment system become huge issues for me. Look at this guy climbing an impossible tower and looking all right. Brave man.
Well you’ll be happy to know that you were a lot more than a couple hundred feet off the ground, try 1,100+ feet.
I've been there and stood on it myself. I am also pretty scared of heights but I was amused to see a bloke in front of me tapping the glass with his foot before he stood on it. There were already several people standing on the glass so I'm not sure what his little foot tap told him.
It does feel like a long way down and that's about 1100' rather than 1500', not that it's any more dangerous.
@@molder2233 If I knew it was more than a thousand feet, I would have stayed on the ground.
@@joshuarosen6242 Actually, I stepped on the glass floor softly so that I don't become the last straw on the camel's back and end up breaking the glass.
@@sh230968 Perhaps it was you I saw ;-).
Fun fact: When designing a tower like this they have to make sure it can support:
1. Wind velocity
2. Lightning strikes
3. 1200 pound testicles
Well, women can do the work too.
No lie. Hats off to Kevin "Ton O'Nuts" Schmidt
How large of diapers are required? Climbing that high! I was worried just sitting on my can in the chair watching!!! lol
@@globe255 yeah sure
LOL😂
how did that tower not collapse from the weight of that mans balls?
odisy64 nah fam he has Saftey Equipment he has a vagina
The Beast Saftey Equipment he has a vagina ??? Haha Please dude just stay with your video games people who are doing this kind off stuff are having massive balls.
Bird Place he also forgot that antenna climbers have one of the highest fatality rates of any profession in the US so much for having vaginas on a job that will kill you even with equipment.
The Beast tough guy behind a keyboard. give it a try start climbing
Zander the Idiot What do you mean ? Why would I climb that ?
I used to work for Steel & Tank Service Co. and this really brings back the memories! We mostly did water tanks but did maintenance on the towers in the wet months. I never climbed a 1500 foot tower though. My record was around 700 feet.
That’s 699 feet more than I could ever climb.
i watched one that was 2000 ft up and the clouds were really low. OMG just watchin it made my stomach turn. My god. I could never do that.
When I was in college in Washington, D.C. (back in the Pleistocene) I worked as an area tower beacon light changer. And most of the towers were well over 1000 feet and most were guy wire stabilized. The pay was astronomical but the hazards equally breathtaking. All I had to do was change a single beacon and I was flush with cash for a month, at least. All it took was a good recommendation from one station and all the other stations started calling.
I know it looks both dangerous and terrifying but is it actually dangerous? I used to climb and I've climbed with way more sketchy protection than this. He had a karabiner on a cow's tail at all times and great hand and foot holds so it's hard to see what could have gone that wrong.
When you're leading a climb and placing your own protection it's a lot more dangerous and you only have to fall 20m to die so height doesn't really make a difference except to how tired you get.
Pleistocene gang, w00t w00t!
That must have been dangerous with all the ice, judging from the Pleistocene era, that is. I'm so old, I was born in a hospital in DC (Providence) that doesn't even exist anymore.
There isn't enough money in the world to make me do this. Amazed that there are people who take on this risk, and who love the job. We all owe you much gratitude. Most people never give one thought to what it takes for them to have cell phone service and TV service. :)
Cant even watch it in my chair, have to sit on the floor.
Once you go skydiving, not only will you still have a fear of heights but then you’ll also develop a fear of the ground!
I watched this and felt scared, i was sitting on a newspaper.
Hell, I had to sit on the throne to watch it!
Stability is everything
You are correct. For me watching it makes my skill crawl, spooky scary feeling.
I beleive I just saw this structure going east on I90, it was like a line going to the sky. Crazy.
theoretical physicist Yes south of I-90 about 30 miles west of Sioux Falls, that's the one.
***** yeah. this tower is quite impressive even from a distance.
+theoretical physicist A structure going East on the highway? That sure is crazy.
he's a theoretical physicist, it's only theoretical
+Marek Kostecki lol, your the second person since I've joined youtube to reference my name. I've been on youtube for like years aswell XD
This video is absolutely amazing. I have viewed these towers and often wondered about the people who need to climb them. Now I know. The person in this video looks perfectly relaxed performing this task. It gives me the WILLIE'S just watching this guy up there on my smartphone. I really must take my hat off and applaud this person and others like him who can do something like this. WOW.
You have to love your job to do this kind of work !
Having climbed tall trees to do work in my youth , this takes it to another level !
Also , the building of the Empire State Building and the men who walked the beams , without being tethered , is one that sends chills up my back every time I watch it !
I used to work for a midwestern distributor of tower, parts, waveguide, etc. for the construction and maintenance of AM and FM (including TV) broadcast systems. There were men who specialized in maintenance - mainly changing light bulbs in the warning lamps - who were paid $5/foot for however high they had to climb - and this was in the early 1980s.
Talk between this guy and his wife
Wife: How was your day?
Guy in Tower: Boring, just changed a light bulb...
lol
It would be boring after doing it a dozen times. Especially when you know there is zero chance of you falling.
there's always a chance
chance of falling yes, chance of dying very slim because 99% of all that do this have at least one of the 2 safety hooks attached at all time, when they change location of the hooks they remove one and leave the other until they attached the other one again. Falling is a possibility yes but falling to your death not so much.
Looks like he nearly unhooked the wrong one @0:50
He's carrying 2 bags. One for his tools, second one for his balls of steel
Ftg?
😂😅
So you’re saying one is his ballbag
It's unreal how different people are I could never do that and this guy's up there like it's no problem balls of steel
"Oh man I only brought a Phillips head screwdriver"
Taco Stacks I forgot my tool box
Taco Stacks - i need to take a crap! Something i ate...
Great comment!
They don't just hire anybody for this job, hahaha!
What about when you get there and drop your screwdriver?
As someone with a fear of heights I have to say : this is terrifying
It would be awesome, watcha talkin about
I'll be doing 1 tomorrow 1700 feet in Alabama
@@jerrielnorth895 I'll be doing 25,000 feet next month.
I'm afraid of heights. Yet once I had this crazy idea of going skydiving.
@@mustang6599 not even a building that tall funny guy
The most unpopular dad on "Bring your kid to work day"
😅
Good one.😂😂
Terrifying. My palms were sweating just watching. Then consider that the tallest building, Burj Khalifa, is another 1200' taller than that! Even indoors I don't think I could stand it.
I’m so glad he is wearing a helmet just in case he fell😂
It's not a crash helmet. It's to protect from falling overhead objects which could injure or render him unconscious. If you knew anything about construction or the trades, this comment would be irrelevant.
@@TucsonDude who hurt you?
@@TucsonDude I think you did not get the joke.
Since there is a double safety line it's very unlikely he would just fall to his death, it's to prevent head injuries if he falls/slips or take a misstep and falls 1m down...
For people that didn't get the joke, jeezzz talking with you must be really boring..
My legs turn to jelly just watching. Balls of steel, mate, balls of steel.
It`s not the fall that kills you, it`s hitting the ground. Fell off a 60ft ladder once, I was ok though, I was only on the bottom rung!
😂😂😂😂
Haha!
Reminds me of an old life's saying: It's not the falling that hurts. It's the stopping.
Technically . . . hitting the ground doesn't kill you either.
The loss of function in your internal organs after the EXPLOSION of them impacting your skeletal frame from the inertia gained DURING the fall is what will kill you. js
Haha Steve; that's funny. Like they say: It's not the falling that hurts, it's the landing.
KVLY-TV mast (2,063 Feet) is the tallest one in the U.S. That tower is less shorter then KVLY-TV mast!
so what is your point
Thank you Prairie Aerial for uploading this incredible video. Thank you Mr. Schmidt for your amazing confidence and strength. Thanks also to the Thorins for some excellent cinematography and videography.
"Hey, it wasnt the bulb, the switch at the bottom was off. . . "
😂😂😂
@@AmericanExplorer namaste
🤣🤣🤣🤣
No, he went up there to take fresh air & also to find his missing cattle.
He was there to clean the dusty bulb
my palms are soaking watching this dude.
Watch Fred Dibnah clips for more thrills. Bloke didn't have any safety equipment apart from wisdom
@@henrygaervell3251 I watched that one brother pure class👍
@@RUclipsviewz anyone has balls going up a tower or ladder like that, but Fred is something special.
@@henrygaervell3251 don’t make them like Fred anymore that’s for sure my man.
Beside being in shape and having the technical skill, I believe you have to enjoy it. I would bet this guy go rock climbing on the weekends.
I can't tell which causes me greater terror: these height videos or the cave exploring where they barely squeeze through tiny holes
I'm terrified of both but id rather do this.
Caves seen to be horrifying but actually they are prettt fun to explore. I did it and wow it was a heck of a time. There was also water so I had to swim through tunnels and hope I had enough air, but the instructor taught us to hold our breath really well so we were all fine.
I feel the same exact way when I watch those types of videos. I'm always mouthing silently to myself "hell effing no."
It’s not the height....it’s the swaying that would freak me out. That sway goes a few feet in every direction.....ur mind would always get tricked that the tower is gonna fall over. There is no getting used to that
That tower is tied down with cables so I doubt there's much movement.
@@numbzinger350 I bet there’s a ton of movement
And the wind!
@@numbzinger350 you're right, not much at all, I built these years ago...
False they sway barely a few inches on a extremely windy day. They are very stable. I climb these
Does anyone else’s body react to this video in a primal fear way?
I simply could not do that job. No way, no how.
Palms immediately start sweating and my whole body pulses like scared to death. So...yes.
Robert Ward Yes. 😭😭😭
Can you hear that? It’s my heart. “ *Nopenope Nopenope Nopenope* “
YESSS LIKE A WEIRD NERVOUS FEELING LOL
I started doing this work right out of highschool. Those days we would free climb them. We had a tie off safety strap we used when we needed both hands to work. 10 years of that in all sorts of weather in the upper Great plains was enough for me. Tallest one I was ever on was the 1200' Omega Navigation tower @ La Moore, North Dakota. Started out at $10.00hr and topped at $25.00hr.
I would climb it, as long at it was laying on the ground. This man is one of a special breed.
I've done it, though not that high.
You learn to use and trust in your safety equipment.
You have the final say.
He knows that if he falls down, his helmet will save him. :)
If he had a chin strap. More than likely would fall off before he hit the ground.
Beauty and the beast Christmas
if there's 2 up there USUALLY one above the other & they are convenient to attach go-pro's to
Gene Murphy
It might protect him from a dropped tool.
Who else is watching this can only climb to the third rung of a ladder without freaking out.
Third rung! The 1st'll do!
About 90 percent of the world's population
I really get scared on the 3rd rung of a 2 rung ladder!
Heights terrifying me😩
Someone had to figure out just the right kind of steel to use with the right kinds of other elements in the right proportions with the right balance of hardness and flexibility to achieve such massive compressive strength.
Very good, that man always maintained at least three points of contact.
1) a foot
2) a hand
3) a safety tether
This is the same principle people need to use when ascending or descending stairs.
Always hold the hand rail because you never know if you will slip and fall.
I slipped on stairs carrying a board and broke my ankle, I hold the rail now lol
I put even money on there's a helicopter rescue on call or on site because you can't hang from a harness very long before medical complications start to be an issue. Thank you. Great video though, huh?
@@wlsnpndrvs8593. WRONG. The harness is very comfortable and can be sat in for hours (an 8 - 10+ hour shift) at a time. Before you make such a lame statement, you need to know what you are talking about.
@@james1795 i won't capitalize wrong, but have you taken MSHA mine rescue classes? then i question your credential to make your challenge to my comment valid. I'm a pro. all you do, is just watch youtube. the lame statement is yours, unless you are educated.
p. s. thrombosis and septic blood.
@@wlsnpndrvs8593 You have it correct, sir. You can WORK comfortably in a harness all day long, but you sure can't HANG in one, for the very reasons you cited. Especially if the reason you are hanging rendered you unconscious.
Good companies ensure that every crew truck is equipped with a rescue kit, and every climber is trained and refreshed at least annually in tower rescue technique. Unless the crew travels with a helicopter (like that could ever happen), the likelihood of a helicopter being close enough to perform the rescue before the worker died is so remote that my might as well consider it impossible. Likewise, when the very skilled local fire department shows up with a 100' (or less) truck-mounted ladder, and your worker is hanging at 300', you realize that it is up to the rest of the crew to perform the rescue.
That makes me feel sick :-(
Being 1500' up in a Cessna is one thing, but being 1500' up on a long needle is seriously messed up!
I’ve climbed these monster toothpicks in the sky. Of course I was 175 pounds, young and in great shape. Today I have trouble making it up and down a flight of stairs. To let everyone know, at the top, it sways back and forth about 4 feet depending on any breezes.
I always wondered how much "sway' those things would have..
@J They're probably fine.... Speaking as someone who did the same. You aren't abusing your body in an extreme way, especially if you are in shape. You likely do more damage to your back/hips/knees working on a construction site on the ground . This isn't to say its not easy
Oh hell no , on that shit . Nope I like dirt on my feet 🦶
That must be a very intense feeling
W C its 60k per climb twice a year on each tower meaning 120k a year for two days of work
A horror movie called "Fall" from 2022, is more or less is only about the top of a TV tower like this.
In the history of man they haven’t printed enough money for me to go up there.
I'd love to do that!
AMEN to that!
I would do it for a banana shake!
@@beaumershon3066 IBEW Rate for a journeyman is Base rate of $120 per hr.
@@billcampbell4252 Again, I would do that for a $3.99 banana shake...
The drone footage elevates this video. Really cool.
Interesting perspectives with the drone.
Looking directly down from the top to the base of the tower, you get a true sense of its actual height.
You have my respect, Kevin.
I was leaning back in my chair while watching this and suddenly felt like I was about to fall 1500 feet...
TexasGTO imagine if you had a dream about falling off and woke up right as you were about to hit the ground
TexasGTO i saw this comment and i tried it IT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY SCARY
@Andrew Ernyes They just drilled a lake in Antarctica the ice was 1km thick, puts things into perspective ❄️
Outstanding. It shows the promise of drone tech in the context of capturing imagery that otherwise would be too expensive or dangerous to get. I understand why the FAA set the ceiling at 400', but I can't see an issue with missions like this, involving a stationary object, as long a maximum radius from that object is not exceeded.
Timothy Kelly That's right, we consulted with pilots of regular aircraft about the clearances around a structure and found we had a 500' area to all sides of the structure, including above the structure. Although helicopters and paragliders can come closer than 500', there were no operations of that sort in the area. So we figured that space was ours to use even though it is above the traditional 400' limit - which is not a regulation by the way.The proposed small UAV rules give a 500' ceiling that will be a regulation, but I hope to see a variance for tower inspecting that will allow us to use the 500' clearance area around a structure as we did here.
Timothy Kelly Yes, an exception in the height limit is justified in cases like this since no conventional aircraft should be anywhere near a tower. The guy wires spread out a considerable distance and would be hard for a pilot to see. And no reason for a plane to be below 2000-ft if not landing or taking off and towers like this are not put near airports.
In the hands of trained professionals, drones are a much safer way to do needed inspections or TV news coverage than using climbers or helicopters. It's the irresponsible amateurs who will be the problem.
I'm still waiting for some idiot to fly one in the engine of commercial jet. Plane spotting is huge and you just know that somebody will eventually try and get that once in a lifetime footage of a plane taking off, or landing. I hope not but people never let you down.
Yep 400' AGL or above an object/structure and within the 500' radius of the object/structure
I've always loved how the major farming areas in the U.S., look like a patchwork quilt!
I strongly believe this is the tower in Walnut CA, the one that is featured in the movie Fall.
It's based on that Tower in California.
The guy while filling his timesheet for the day....replaced a bulb....
Boss: "Why did it take you 4 hours?"
"What do you mean it was a dud?"
I get the cold sweats just putting Christmas lights on my single story roof, this guy is Legend...respect!
These videos make my chest hurt, yet I keep watching them. You guys are real men.
Dammit, dropped the nut again!!! :)
That's why you take extra nuts with you. (beside the ones you were born with)
1:03...climber realizes he forgot to bring the replacement bulb.
Now we just need a cart of hay and an eagle flying by.
The view from up there is amazing and you get quite a workout climbing a tower. I've been up to 400 feet. Once you get past 70 feet it's all the same thing because a 70 foot fall is the distance it takes to ensure a clean death. Above that it just doesn't matter except the higher you go, the longer you have to contemplate your mistake if you should fall.
Not necessarily true. People have been sucked out of planes at 10k+ and lived. Not the norm, but it has happened
Relamping towers requires guts, good boots and good hands.
Well done my friend..!
The back of my legs were tingling with fear for the entire video!
Whatever that guy is paid, it isn't enough.
ertznay lol starts at 18 an hour. This is my job haha
So basically $80 bucks to climb this tower 😂 (Canadian dollars so 65 USD)
@@nittyblahblah8939 *INCOMING*
I would like to see you do this
Nitty BlahBlah every job has some inherent health risk, none are worth losing your life over. So most people aren’t paid enough for the hazards they are exposed to. If you have to work for a living then yes, you are forced.
@El Chapo calm down, why are you so mad? The dude was just explaining something
Been there, done that ... but in an elevator for the first 1300' . Great job Kevin ! That's what I call LEGS !
It goes to show you how smart the designers of this tower are. I would think a nice wide base is what you would need to keep this tower stable. But instead, for reasons I don't understand, the base comes down to about the circumference of a quarter (being facetious). Seriously though, a narrow base and some steel cables is what is holding this thing up. Amazing!!
I wonder if it is possible to make a cage that uses a device like a rope ascender that rides up the guy wire, thus avoiding most of the climb and getting the job done faster.
Yep, for these towers, it’s all about the guy wires, which essentially create enormous compression on the tower base and hold it very rigidly. Even so, if you look up the wire, it’s curved into a catenary.
To demolish these things, they only need to take out some of the cables.
ruclips.net/video/yFk4MsjNCkY/видео.html
@@SunriseLAW Some large towers have elevators inside the tower structure, which is just a footpeg on a cable over a pulley, basically.
Guy wires? One fails while you're on it and it won't take long at all to get down. You'll get to the ground extremely fast.
This guy earns every single penny he gets! Worth watching the film 'Fall'
Farmer nearby gets puzzled at why he felt a brief shower on a sunny day.
Now that's funny. Well done David....😆😇😈
Lmao
At least he wasn't bombed!
🤔🤣🤟
1:28 There aren't many times when I'd say a selfie is justified, but this is one of them.
People like this never get the respect they deserve. The little things we take for granted only continue to work because of people willing to do these kind of jobs. Respect to this gentleman, I'm comfy at ground level.
I feel you I really do but in all honestly he just changed a light bulb lol
@@trentejames9773 yeah but that lightbulb could be a landmark for a pilot with a bunch of passengers on board
I'm always amazed at the fearless people in this world. I was getting butterflies just looking at the wide angle shots. Sending prayers for your continued safety.
It`s not about being fearless, without the experience, these workers would have had fear written all over them on their 1st proper climb.
Definitely not too many feminists screaming for equality in this field.
@@AdirondackHomestead 🐒🐒🐒
@@AdirondackHomestead sorry boy. I don’t send prayers. Figure it out yourself. Boy.
Relaxed, so poised without a hint of fear and there he stands, a man, at the highest point in life.
Gave me the cold shivers of fear just watching him, so cool, calm and collected!
He just fixed one of my problems I've been constipated and watching him I just shit my pants .😁
It takes a special person to be able to do that and God bless him
Changed a beacon light atop a 130' tower once. It was -43 with a 7 not breese.
It was cool, to say the least. Great vid.
Knot...not not.
I’ve been a pilot for 25yrs and this scares the hell out of me ! Amazing how he climbs, dragging his tools, lunch and balls behind him !
No, you were never a pilot. You were a janitor your entire life bob.
Mountain Echo LOL! Well, as much as everyone appreciates your wisdom and insight, the FAA, several type-ratings and multiple logbooks would prove just how wrong you are. Go back to Xbox
@@randyporter3491 Haha, Listen close bob. You are to heavy to ride on the back of a sparrow. Also the faa has only kept log books in Braille. We can clearly see that you are not blind. Now swab the head until it whistles me old son.
Hats off to this guy who is performing his duty on the top of the tower from 1500 height to the ground...
Clean diamond is also here on tower great work bro
Salute to this guy who working hard to earn living
Matt very less for a neurosurgeon,a successful corporate lawyer makes 1000$ an hour,these days youtube streamers making 10000$/stream
I have trouble changing my first story eaves troughs...I absolutely think this is amazing. I cannot fathom how someone can just go up and do that. So impressed.
commonly referred to as gutters
I've done that on a 600 foot tower, and that was bad enough, after about 400 feet it really makes no difference, but it is scary just how much the towers like that move and sway and wobble. (and how much effort it takes to climb them)..
Thanks for putting this up.
I used to fly helicopters without the doors and sometimes stuck my head out for a better view and felt every bit as secure as on the ground. Climbing up a fire tower or even riding in an elevator with a glass wall and I get vertigo, like some force is puling on me.If I had to, I probably could climb up that tower and I can;t think of any reason in hell to do so.
Whenever I see these, I just wonder why they aren't built with some sort of track or pulley system to raise and lower the light? We don't climb flagpoles to change flags.
It's cheaper to do this. Those bulbs don't need replacing very often.
Those guy wires could be obstacles
Lucky he has that helmet on!👍 safety first!
What's crazy is I think he could parachute down from the top. But it would be insanely hard to carry it all the way up.
Carry condoms in case of broke-back antennae action?
:-)
A climb HV towers in Australia but nothing as high as this.
What a fuckin awesome video and view.
the tower alone is something I could never do.........but when you get to the very top, that looks VERY scary!!
should have brought a parachute and BASE jump!
thats actually not a bad idea in my opinion. maybe parachutes r heavy in the pavk i have no idea but sure would save time and be a lot more fun
+5183adam hell no!!
BASE canopies tend to be lighter because there is no reserve.
That's a great idea.
Zip line down
Always remember to pee BEFORE you start your climb.
Why??? You can piss up there and it will evaporate before it gets to the ground.
Why? You can always make it “rain”!
hell NO...make it RAIN!!!!
Golden rain is a small problem. Diarrhea...
I always drop a deuce before putting my harness on.
Smart man wearing a hard hat. Will protect him from falls.
Would've been cool if he had parachute when he's finished.
xXSilentAgent47Xx
This is a good job for a BASE jumper.
@Thelma Peckerwood other than the extreme danger? Sure why not.
@Thelma Peckerwood because base jumping is illegal lol
ANYONE CLIMBING THAT HIGH SHOULD WEAR AERIAL PROTECTION.
@Thelma Peckerwood YOU ARE RIGHT. I AM NOT GAY AS YOU ACCUSE. I AM MY OWN CLASS: SUPERBAD - GOD BY DAY, DEVIL BY NIGHT. IT'S WEIRD.
Crap I forgot the light bulb
R Adams or he does it on purpose just for the over time...
@Kevin Johnson, so a light bulb went off in his head.
Use the drone....
His partner will toss one up to him.
Then climb back down and get it!
I'll leave a comment when I feel better!
My hands are sweating profusely just watching him climb that last top bit where the steps don’t even fuckin connect fully 😂😅
I have a phobia from the high places exposed while sitting behind the computer screen,
I felt shivering in my feet .lool
A really bad time to realize those stool softeners are about to kick in
just lean back on your safety harness & bombs away!
@@howiedewin3688 shit storm anyone
Depends?
Attention this is a diarrhea storm ⚠️
he can hold it, with sheer will power.
Yes - I take a "selfie" on all tower jobs.
Also have the same type of OSHA gear Kevin Schmidt uses. It offers 100% "tie-off" at all times.
Thanks,
James
The ground looks like an actual map.