An Exclusive Club
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- www.vikorinc.com
www.prairieaerial.com
There is a small group of people who climb to the top of the tallest spires on the planet. They usually do it for the most mundane of reasons - to change a lightbulb - but there are also repairs and inspections to be done.
In honor of these workers, and on the anniversary of our famous "1500' TV Tower" video, please enjoy this look into the antenna climber's world.
There’s two kinds of people. EITHER: You couldn’t pay me enough to climb that tower. OR
I wanna climb that tower whether you pay me or not.
I'm not sure how much money it would take to get me to attempt to climb one of those towers, but it would be enough that I would go to the same parties as Bill Gates...
Im that person that says "ok i'll do that!" and then gets caught by the police by tresspassing
I'm a wiseass but when I watched this video I cringed like a five-year old afraid of the dark.
I'm in the first group, Kyle. My hands sweat just watching these videos.
Don't get me Im sure these are good paying jobs but I don't make as as much you think.
I met one of these guys on holiday a few years ago and asked him how often people fall off these towers.
" Once", he replied.
Liar
Don't know if you are trolling, but by "once" he means you are dead after your first drop.. ( EDIT: This is in response to abc 123, apparently some people are too stupid to understand that.)
He means once in modern history ?
The fall doesn't kill you. Its the sudden stop that does.
Its far more likely something will fall on you then you falling off. People who bitch about double hooking are gay imo, but having a helmet is really a good idea, even tho i don't think it should be required under law as the FAA and OSHA are both unconstitutional tyrannical agencies thats should be dismantled. Their very existence is in violation of the 10thA and the routinely violate the 4thA 5thA 6thA 8thA and 2ndA
They dont all look dead inside because of the job. Thats just the face you get from living in sioux falls.
they do look rode hard
Just thinkin the same shit lol
Dave Nonyabiz And hung up wet
Wow!
Or from their brains being microwaved from being so close to powerful radio waves.
I climbed the sticks for 15 years. Once you're on the antenna you're 500+ feet higher than the Twin Towers. Puts it into perspective for many just how high you get. Anyway, my monkey tail slipped from an antenna peg (they have very little hook on them) and luckily fell perfectly so that it landed on the next one down. Scariest moment of my life. That was my last climb.
That was my thought. How hard would it be to make the end of the peg like a shepherd's staff? I thought I was surely missing something and the pegs would absolutely prevent the monkey tail from slipping....guess not. 😳
Hope they are paid very well
@@lisagillis09lg I've heard 20K/tower.
You got complacent. I’ve been hanging from pegs by carabiner for BASE jumping. Keep your eye on your gear.
I only lasted 7 years. Those were the years when climbing was freehand. I just about bought the farm on 5 different occasions. My last climb was a 400ft very rusty tower on the gulf coast in Louisiana. About 300ft up while climbing, my foot went straight through a ladder rung due to it being so corroded. My hand missed that one because I always caught every other rung with my hands, and every rung with my feet. For some reason that was my normal way of climbing. So yeah, not being tied off to anything, knowing that if I would have grabbed that one rung, I would have went off backwards, to my demise. It is a lot safer these days, and that makes me happy, but there is no way, I will ever step foot on one again. But with that being said, I do climb on derricks offshore, not a lot, sense I'm 58 now, but sometimes....
According to ZipRecruiter "As of March 24, 2019, the average annual pay for a Tower Climber in the United States is $44,712 a year." No thanks
Hope thats the quarterly apprentice rate lol
Seriously? Oh hell naaahhhh.!!
I used to work with the tower rats, very interesting group of dudes.
They change twice a year get paid 44 thousand
kgb024 they do travel around to more than one tower, we went all over Washington, Oregon and Idaho. I worked on the equipment at the bottom nice and safe on the ground.
I did a bit of tower climbing when I was considerably younger. The scariest thing for me was watching a cloud pass over the tower when you are looking up from half way up. You would swear the tower was tipping. You cannot always trust your senses.
It sways 3 feet in every direction.
@@BASEBALLHISTOR that depends on how tall the tower is
iv had the same feeling many times when looking straight up when i was working on powerlines industry
@@BASEBALLHISTOR 2000 ft towers sway 6 - 15 feet in some conditions. No thanks
I get heights anxiety just reading that
My hats off to all the folks that do this job that most can’t or won’t. Personally my height tolerance is about 20’. Please stay safe up there. 👍
I have a height tolerance of about 230', highers I ever went exposed like these guys is maybe 60 but untethered and I free scaled the tip too which was ultra bangers.
Twice my tolerance!😀
Night tolerance 10 feet
@@solar_genesis cringe.
I did this for 13 years .... I came home thanksgiving 2018 And never went back .... 😭😭😭
Man that girl working at the desk really added a lot, thank god they put her on for that brilliant insight
She was just cute, only reason she is in this.
I said the same thing LMAO
@@casedistorted we dont care
@@Ryan.Kooper Who is 'we'?
Makes my toes curl and not in a good way special breed God bless them so we can have 500 channels and still nothing on
lmfao
😂😂😂
😂 facts
@@bignoseharry6561 Guess my PROGRAMMING has enabled me to spell correctly ;-)
Talking Head by Motörhead from the Bomber album-
Television voice, don't give you any choice
You only hear the man
Don't take them in, you don't know where they been
'Cause it's a complex plan
They keep you nice and quiet, even control your diet
You're hungry, you get fed
Teach you to be meek, till all you are is weak
Till you're just a talking head
jason9022
Let me guess when someone asks you what time it is you tell them how a watch works
I'm a mountain climber and there's some stupid comfort in being high up on a mountain, but dont ask me why climbing one of these towers scares me. It just does.
Probably because you're sane.
I've been climbing for near 4 decades . My peak was 5/12s in the 80s
I climb today but only to stay in shape . Being young and having no responsibility has long past for me .
The reason why this scares you is because it's not granite .
It's man made and will fail at some point .
Question , would you not want to speed climb it just because ?
Mountains dont sway in the wind. Mountains arent bolted together
It's probably a survival instinct... if you're alone at the top of the mountain, you can see any potential threats coming. It's probably the safest place to be.
I rock climb and these towers look fun. Compared to rock climbing, the only difference is having to do work once you're at the top. If I ever wanted to travel more, I'd consider taking one of these positions in Utah or Colorado.
I'm a 73 year old Retired High Steel Ironworker ( Connector ), when I got a little tired of Hanging Iron , I would subcontract Towers from various companies with my brother and a couple of our good friends . I've also built and worked for some of the largest Tower Companies in the USA . I've built in Swamps , Deserts , Mountains , Islands . In Louisiana , one of our Elevated Anchors was in the water , and we were in the midst of Alligators and Cottonmouths. That was fun . I was on another job when my brother was taking down an old Tower from on top of a building . It was in a large town , they had to raise the equipment from the alley way . They refused to continue because of all the Electric poles in the alley . The Electric Co was called and they said everything would be safe . My brother's knee was touching the flashing on top the brick and the electricity arched a ways and killed him as they pulled up the first Tower Section . In 1982 , I was tearing down a 150' Rhone 25 Tower . It is a very small Tower ( only one man needed on the Tower ) . When we got down to 60 ' , the Guy line anchor snapped and it fell with me on it . Those towers are usually set in at least 3 to 4 feet of concrete , but this one had a Bolt to prevent it from moving . I was able to unhook myself from the Tower and " rode " it down as the Bolt was bending ( before it broke ) . I pushed myself away ( so the Tower wouldn't fall on me ) and landed on my Left foot heel and Right foot toes . It cracked my left foot in several places , but the real damage was landing on my right foot toes . The Doctors had to rebuild that foot and they told my wife that I might not walk again ! I was in a cast for 6 weeks and the next week , I was back on Towers again . I was paid $1.50 a foot to change lights , and back in the 80's , when I sometimes worked by the hour , I made from about $14.00 to $20.00 an hour . We would also get daily per diem , which would be at least $100.00 a day . I love being in the air , butyou could not pay me enough money to work underground or maybe on a ship far out on the ocean !! We all have our limits ! Ha , Ha! Hat's off to all you folks ! If any of my old Ironworker-Towerhand buddies see this , hit me up . I'm still the Original Panama Redd . Peace !
@@GAVACHO5150
Thanks for the comment . I'm pretty sure you can do what I do , but I don't think I can do what you do ! The second the top hatch is closed , I would probably be wanting my Momma ! My hats off to all you folks ! Thanks for helping to make the world a little safer . It takes all kinds of brave and selfless individuals to perform duties and tasks that some folks might not to interested in . There is a feeling of satisfaction when you help to contribute to the world that is unlike any other . Be safe !
@@jimmierue I built stainless towers in pine forge for 13 years before it closed in 13. i loved fabricating them but climbing isnt for me!
I worked for branch erection built 1200' towers for them in Florida. Me and another guy on the tower only. I ran the bottom of the gin pole he ran the top as we would jump the pole. In the wind past 700feet pulling big tower sections in with just two guys was pretty fun, slept good at night the city was fort Myers. Television tower with a beautiful 360 platform beautiful tower. All sections and platform came from FT WORTH TOWER. Also worked for Tiner communications in Dallas TX. Worked on the big towers in IOWA. Worked for esco communications in Mansfield Tx. Maintenance all the big towers in ceader hill, channel 11, 5 , 39, Q 102 , and traveled all over building towers with them, I quit because they kept swapping hoist operators 2 weeks later they mangled my friend Walter and a new hire. 1year later my friend Scotty was cut in half as they were jumping the pole, bad hardware brought the tower to the ground. ☠ I was working as a diesel mechanic for Roy e cook trucking and Scott showed up and bought my custom Klein belt, I never saw him alive again. That's all I have to say. TIMMY RAY FARMER FROM FT WORTH TEXAS. 🤠
So sorry to hear about your brother. I guess that’s why health & safety regulations are so important. It seems like there’s “red tape” around everything we do these days and we moan about it because we just want to get the job done, but stories like yours just highlight why we need to be patient.. I hope the electric company were held to account for their negligence.. 🙏
????????WTF
I’m a firefighter and am not the biggest fan of heights, these guys, crane operators and iron workers are absolutely insane and I give them all the respect In The world. I can honestly say I don’t think I could get up and do this everyday
Swept chimneys for a while takes about 6 weeks for the fear of heights to leave you, interesting that it's about the same amount of time it takes to learn what to watch out for. Like crumbling chimneys held together by gravity and nothing else. After 6 months I'd just stand on top if there was no wind, 50 drop was no problem. Would have given my mom a heart attack but she never knew.
Been a member of the club since 1980....the coolest climb I had was on a 500 ft tower in the mountains of Puerto Rico.
Low clouds moved in so I had the experience of "Tower heaven" or as I call it, my :jack n the bean stalk" experience. Climbing through the clouds into the sun is a beautiful experience.
THANKS FOR ALL OF THE MEMORIES
Sounds so awesome, be careful my friend!
how would one get this job? What are the requirements? Education? Pay? How do you start out? Is this union only? Is the demand high for this job?
i climbed 300 ft tower.. it was amazing but i m searching for more
urban _exploration_tv sounds like your ready to climb a slick my man. The pay is good about 300$ to get to 1000ft and 10$ each additional 100ft. You get up to 2000ft and thats when the big bucks come rolling in. 400 big ones!
ahaha are you serious? where is this? but nahh.. just illegal things, thanks.
Yeah, I froze climbing up the ladder to the second floor window once. Mom had to come rescue me. I was 42. In all fairness it was windy. Mom almost spit her teeth out she was laughing so hard.
😂🤣😂
Lol
Your mother says you scream like a woman.
😂😂😂👍🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
Thanks man I needed that 😂
As a young police officer I always felt very safe working in the darkness on graveyard, even in the most dangerous neighborhoods. Areas where my friends and coworkers were attacked, shot, even fatally injured, it was the darkness that had a type of blanketing level of comfort enveloping my whole person.
Yet, as I watched these guys talk about the work they love I'm thinking there isn't enough money in the entire world to create that same sensation to get me to the top of one of those crazy tall TV antennas!
I too LOVE working, walking, running and just being in the dark. I think it has something to do with trauma. You as a cop were attacked, I am guessing here, and hence your preference for dark.
Mine is certainly related to trauma. A severe one.
I thought I was the only person that felt that way... I feel comfort in the darkness. Always have . I feel exposed in the light .
another fire comment
i climb towers cause of the money and trauma to keep at bay
You either are fearless and sign up... or you will never ever no matter how much the pay...
I was in a firefighter school with a tower climber. He had climbed the tallest in the southeast ad brought pictures. Not being a huge fan of heights, I was fascinated by his work. He invited me to go on a short climb with him, but sadly I had to go on a trip that day. I remember now, I left on the 2:15 out of Nopesville, enroute to F-thatastan. Maybe next time.
I am a PROUD member of that club myself. Did it for 30+ years and climbed hand over fist up to 2000 ft. And worked in 35 of 50 states.
HOLD FAST
STAY SAFE
I’m not in that club, but 458’ is my highest self support tower I worked on just north of Richmond VA right off of interstate 95.
Damn. Thats all I can say
Ever think About skydiving from it?
@@botyaltotertutal468 Two words would change your mind.
Guy Wires.
It would make the news with the rescue efforts to get you safely down once you got entangled.
But given the thrill seekers out there, I am sure it’s been tried. I’ll have to look it up on the internet.
Only stupid people do that job
Monopoles... scariest moment of my life when I slipped and the safety harness caught me. Luckily I was saved. But I dont climb towers anymore
Good deal
Couldn’t even imagine
That's why you use a harness! Trust your safety equipment setup correctly, it'll be there for you when you actually need it :)
What about wearing a BASE jumping parachute?
What was the tallest you climbed?
My first tower climb was the KCAU TV tower in Sioux City, Iowa in June, 1986. At 11:30 pm, after the station went off the air, we left the diner after having coffee and pie. We rode the elevator up to about the 1,700' level, then climbed up the ladder another 180'+ feet to the actual antenna, then climbed the bat wings to the top, 2,001' to change the light bulb. There were 4 of us, only me an Al McGraw went to to the top. The KCAU tower was built from 1965 to 1967 and is 609.9 meters (2,001') high. It is tied for the tallest structure in Iowa and is one of the tallest structures in the world. Yee haw... Fun night.
Shii y’all boys was using lifts back then I’m climbing the whole way and it’s 2022 lol
@@jaycechenault3940 is that standard to climb the whole thing or are lifts still a thing on some towers?
First train outta Nopesville all the way to Fuckthatistan....
TheMattc999
I actually had a out loud laughing fit when I read your post. My dog thought I’d lost the plot...
@@10toMidnight yeah me too,,,,,,!!!
Hahaha brilliant!
Ditto... still laughing!
slippery j absolutely floored me 🤣
I was able to provide a great living for my family doing this at one time. Now it doesn't pay SHIT. Not worth the sacrifice of being on the road 98% of the and missing your kids grow up.
For that, might as well just be a semi driver, not risking climbing those towers, that don't pay all that well....that's just crazy shit
well im 16 rn so i got a long time to go but if my luck for love stays the same ill prolly end up single and ill do this job. pretty good living if youre on your own and you get to travel too which i wouldnt mind tbh.
@@Ithinkiwill66 Semi truck drivers don't make as much as they used to either when you account for inflation. I think the average was about $40k/year back in like 1996 (like $60k-ish/year when adjusted for inflation), and it's still roughly $40k/year now which isn't really enough to live off of anymore.
Mad the lot of them.......
And your wife is climbing someone elses pole...
I’m an ironworker and I thought we did some sketchy shit building high rises. Hats off to these guys. That’s a set of balls!
I think with all the technology we have today, they can come up with some kind of thin emergency parachute, if they was ever to plummet! To give them some chance to live. My hands get super sweaty just watching things like this. 😳 God Bless Them 🙏
In 1975, I worked for a tower crew out of Houston, Tx. Employer's name was Pete Benevides. We built line-of-sight microwave towers for Arco oil in Lousiana, and the Texas panhandle. I made $4.15 per hour. We painted towers and lamped them also. Tallest I've ever been on was 1500 ft. Most were around 500 feet or so. I've seen those views. That is a young man's game to be sure. Now I lose my balance just looking up at one.
Thanks for sharing your memory
Wow
That's $37.00 an hour in today's wages. That's a famn good wage for that skill level. Shit ain't like it used to be.
-Nephew was tower man in that area. 'Clear Channel' deadbeat him out of promised 24-7 wages, after hurricane destroyed the towers.
@@Blogengezer Imagine being up there in a hurricane though?
In a way, I think it'd be easier to do this at night because you aren't really reminded just how friggen high you are off the ground. Wow.
That is very true. When I climbed one (just for sport) I did it at 3:00 in the morning on my way home from a drinking party.
Until you look over and see an airplane lol
Unless you get sloppy. Working at height at least in the daylight reminds you of how high and how dangerous it is. The pucker factor kicks in.
Until the lamp goes out.
That was awesome to watch, I didn't know they worked at night
When broadcast time is counted in $$$ per minute, night time is the only time they will shut down, and then sometimes, reluctantly. I've worked on antennas that were still running at 10%, and you still know and feel it.
It's just that the RF arcing isn't so bad.
when a commercial broadcast station television or radio is knocked of the air because of an antenna or feed line problem someone has to climb the tower to get them broadcasting again because the are losing a lot of money per minute not broadcasting not to mention public safety and business with data links and two radio repeater equipment
5MadMovieMakers floating containers
We worked allot at night especially in Fly-Zones near airports and such when the flying traffic is down then we get to change the lights.
5MadMovieMakers and now we know who else is amongst the nocturnals
Congratulations for all the tower climbers. Be safe always.
Dont worry yall, once you get above the first 100', it all feels the same. Except for the movement, one thing they didnt really illustrate is how much those things actually sway in the wind. And the wind at the top is always blowing faster than on the ground
I was told when I first started climbing, that if the tower is not moving somewhat, then get off that tower. They are designed to be able to move. Otherwise the stress on the steel will cause it to fail. I never forgot that lesson.
I’ve been in broadcasting for 47 years, and I’ve known some of these guys. A different breed, for sure. I did climb about 35 feet up once, before completely chickening out.
I absolutely admire these guys that do this work, fantastic confidence and ability, like many others I am sure, I was breaking into a sweat JUST watching, great skill and well done folks, keep safe out there, you are valuable assetts!
I met a guy once who asked me if I needed a summer job. I said I did and he asked me how I felt about heights, working high up. I said I didn't mind it and the next day I was painting high-tension towers all over northeast Ohio. Me and another guy could usually paint a 300-ft. tower a day wearing paint mitts. No safety lines because it slowed us down too much. We made good money, a dollar a foot so $150/day each. That was real good money in 1969. The only other guys that worked with us were Apache Native Americans because they weren't afraid of heights. You could see the curvature of the Earth at that height. You could see a long way. That was quite a summer job.
Fuck I wish that was me
How did you climb with no protection wearing furry mits soaked with paint?
Indians painted WPME in 1980, husband and wife. No safety equipment, they would wrap pne leg around one of the tower legs as they painted . They must have died because 20 years later no one would climb it or certify it to be safe.
For 20 years the paint job was illegal and I don't think that they had any insurance.
In the end they found someone to paint it and change the lights.
Everything now is LED and you don't have the bulb issue anymore.
The first lights on the tower were commercial 100 watt rough service bulbs. 1954
Today's tower if near an airport the lights flas one color all the time and switch to red when a plane is about to land, final approach. Things are a lot more complex now than they were 20 years ago.
The antenna not only radiates the power but also determines the radiation pattern.
When one falls down you don't just call DX Engineering and get another.
They are designed for one frequency with a very high Q.
I've had my share of mishaps while working in my life and that is why I am now totally disabled.
And too fat to climb. But they do make 300 foot bucket trucks, which usually fails while fully extended on the coldest day of the year.
It's not possible to visibly discern the curvature of the earth below around 35,000 feet. You can barely make it out on a perfectly clear day from the window of a large commercial jet when its at that cruising altitude on a long flight. From 2000 feet up, on a clear day, the horizon's edge is about 55 miles away. If you could see the curvature at that height/distance, the earth would be a MUCH smaller planet.
My hands and feet are sweating just thinking about this insane incredibly Brave job
hahaha 2.5 people out of 100? more like 1 out of a million.
I think that's if you started off with 100 people who thought they wanted a job in the tower-climbing business, not 100 random people off the street.
I’d give it a go.
I’m definitely wearing my brown pants though.
depends on how much they pay
Now I'm no stickler for detail but if you gonna call someone out get your facts right. He did say 5% of 100. And then he said, "of that five percent only two and a half of them stay and keep working". "Them" being the crucial word. 5% of 100 people is 5 people, and 2.5 of those 5 people is 2.5 people, not 2.5% of those people, meaning it's generally two to three of those 5 people(gotta acknowledge that statistical figures account for all instances and therefore don't need to be rounded up or down into a whole person). In other words 2.5% of 100 people.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance!? Lol
You prairie folk speak so solemnly, I was half expecting one of those stories to end in tragedy.
Respect to these guys, I don't like heights and have an interesting story to go with the limited number of people who could do this job.
I work at a power plant as an operator, during the interview they asked if I was ok with heights, I'm not but I can climb ladders and deal with discomfort 10 feet off the ground.
Day one I drove a giant scissor lift, a few months later we made an entry into containment and there I was, free climbing to the top of the reactor building 250ft above a nuclear reactor without a harness (nowhere to clip off to). All to extend a heavy rod to a piece of equipment to check that it was getting power. Came back to the break room sweating and shaking and my coworkers said "Didn't they tell you what this job involved" "No Timmy, they asked if I was afraid of heights and could climb ladders, nobody said anything about standing 250+ feet on an I beam above the reactor at the end of a 12 hour shift."
No f@#%ing way could I even consider going up there. These guys are total legends.
I nearly went to an interview for this job until i realized how little pay these guys get. It's criminal.
Yeah did it when I was younger for like 11 bucks/hr. Even having to do jobs in Michigan in blizzards with wind chill -30 or better no bullshit what so ever. Prevailing wage jobs paid around 45/hr though which was nice. Hell of an experience
If you work for a mainstream company, sure. You are just another piss on.
Work for a private company with 15 or so people and you will make much, much more.
@cherry bomb hunter bidens first job had him making 4 million a year with absolutely zeroe experience. Dont worry, the elites care about your health, just get the jab
@UCvdv80Xw9bmDs-AJNVffnzg the orange cheeto and every republican deserve the exact same fate as the rest. They have their angle they play just like the left politicians play. And also are you really whoring your stupid onlfans or whatever out in the middle of a debate?? Wow, and you think im stupid??
@cherry bomb youre a bot. Let me prove it.....climate change
I know guys who would climb that tower if they thought there was a beer waiting for them at the top
You all are very brave men. I will keep praying for your safety.
Hats off to you guys. I worked up in the air in my younger days. In the beginning I was scared to go too work. After you get used to it, you love it. Once you build up confidence in your climbing gear and the structures you climb, the fear goes away. I'm concern when I see a tower that doesn't consider a safe venue for your climb. Makes me wonder who the heck is engineering them. We always said, I can't spell engineer...now I are one! Be careful and safe travels always.
jim ledsome can't spell "too" either.
@@skullfracture2 Thanks for the English lesson. By the way, no one cares!
@@skullfracture2 Always enjoy when someone doesn't add a thing to the conversation. Appreciate it.
why take hats off,makes no sense
I'm certain the body weight of each one of these men is 96% balls. I nearly lost my grip and fell watching this, and I'm in bed! Crazy stuff
John Basil thanks for watching Climb on brother
LOL same
dude, I never laughed so hard when I read your comment.i felt same way.lmfao
You win! Best comment! Congratulations
Try alex honnold
Fred Dibnah did this type of thing 40 years ago and no hard hat, no harness, smoking a woodbine and carry his balls of steel.lol
Ha ha, right on! My first thought was old Fred laddering the pole. RIP
fuckwad the breed is extinct in the USA, alive and well in Central America though.
And when elfnsafti complained about him having a few pints before work he said " if you had my job you would also like a few pints before doing it!"
Can't tell you how glad I am to have had the chance to get to know about Fred Dibnah and his chimney climbing business! Thanks for dropping this name. Chewed up an hour of my evening, but well worth the diversion, as was this Prairie Ariel clip. Thanks!
With Fred not only the climbing, but scurrying around underneath to topple them down!
I did it for 15 years in Chicago area for Stann and Associates. 10 feet or 1000 feet it's all the same to me. Climbing in the winter sucked. I also hated painting towers. I did a relamp on the college of Dupage County FM radio station. I think it was 300 feet tall. 2 weeks later it came down. One of the outer guy wires broke the whole thing came down except up to the first set of wires. It was a Rhone 65. My mom didn't like me climbing towers. But she had no problems with me swinging around in a tree with a running chainsaw.
Never climbed the slick sticks, and never climbed at night, but I used to climb communication towers on mountain tops and towers to about 300 - 400 '. Usually installing Stationmasters, Dielectric FM antennas and shorter AM towers. The tallest tower in New England is about 1300'. And the tallest in NH, where I live is just over 650'.
Still, there is nothing like the way a tower moves in the wind once you get a few hundred feet in the air.
Some facts about the tower climbing profession >
There are now more than 290,000 tower sites nationwide, up from 5,000 in 1990.
There are more than 10,000 workers in the tower profession, not all of whom are climbers.
While most tower contractors and subcontractors practice standard construction safety standards for climbing, rigging and constructing, there's no industry safety standard required by law. OSHA has no authority to regulate safety standards on these companies, and they are not required to report accidents or deaths to OSHA. There are no Unions representing workers in the tower climbing business.
There are approximately 10 deaths of climbers per year, which is 10 times more than that of construction workers. Climbers are most often required to work in very cold and windy conditions.
Climbers range in age from 18 to 55 years. Hourly wages can range from as little as $10 to as much as $38 per hour, depending on experience and certified training. Average hourly rate ranges from $16 to $18 per hour. Climbers work between 40 to 60 hours a week and can earn upwards of $75,000 a year. Climbers with electronics and radio transmission installation and repair experience generally earn the most money.
Strangely enough, those people who are used to extreme and dangerous heights, such as skydivers, mountain climbers, lumberjacks, iron workers and steeple chase workers, are seldom cut out for tower climbing. Tower climbing is a fearsome job cut out for only a select few.
Good post, but OSHA does in fact have authority over our industry. Communications Workers of America is one union that employs tower workers
290000 tv antennas.. why would you need them if we really had satellites in space? Makes me wonder
Hu Arwe because satellites go out. You have redundant infrastructure. And I don’t pay for TV so an Antenna would provide me that “free” ad vision.
The word satellite refers to something subordinate to or dependent upon another. Therefore a radio mast may also be termed satellite.
@@huarwe1196 WiFi by cell phone tower is affordable. WiFi by Satellite in space is very expensive.
How could you continue to do that job after seeing one collapse? I would quit.
Some men have bigger testicles then others.
The same way as pilots continue their job after seeing a crash. Or soldiers after witnessing a combat casualty. I could go on.
Some people just don't live in fear of everything, thinking it can kill you. Everything can. Walking down the street gets you killed if you are unfortunate enough. But you still do, right?
How many people died in car prangs in your county this month?
It happened a few weeks ago in Maryland. RIP
The paycheck
my best friend is a Pro. Inspecter inside tight places etc and a Tech. diver paid to do recoveries etc and he has done rope inspections for years and got older and said he wanted less physical work and MORE money. lol yall are a special breed! thank you!
If you look up "NOPE" in the dictionary, the definition is to watch this video. It provides the link and everything.
Devil'sAdvocate no
Lol
Look up the video "Climbing The World's Tallest Radio Tower", it shows the full climb of the last part.
If you think this is bad go check out what Fred dibbnah used to do.
I also looked up no way in hell and got this link..
I want to be a tower climber, because I I've always had an obsession with towers, radios, and RF engineering. My wife said no though.
@@jbsoul4575 Yes because I'd totally post a comment saying I want to do something when I don't actually want to do something. LOL
Sorry bro
Cameron train
Bro just do what you love, if you’re passionate about tower climbing then go for it! It’s not like your wife is gonna divorce you.
Not a chance in hell. Someone would just have to watch Dr. Phil on the internet. Balls of steel you guys. My hat's off to you.
You guy are nuts, Thank you for doing a job only a few are willing to do.
Hats off to you guys for doing such a unique job.
Respiration, heart rate and BP all off the charts watching this
same here.i had to take a nerve pill to calm down.
Absolutely right
This is a great video to give people an idea of what tower work is like. I worked in Technical Enforcement work for 34 years and climbed many towers to install antennas and other devices. My personal tallest was 1,235 feet on what started out a calm day but when descending the wind picked up and changed everything. I give the Men and Women who do this work day in and day out a huge amount a credit. Thanks again for a great video..
Just curious how much you got paid?
I get “that feeling” in the back of my knees just watching these folks. Yuck.
Back of the knees! I thought I was the only one feeling that response. I think it has to do with the legs seeking a safe point of reference on solid ground. The best part is that, during this vertigo after a few seconds you realize it is not you climbing the tower and that all is well. Those guys that make the climbs are strong characters. Strong men. ✅
I've NEVER been able to trust equipment. From shovel handles to semitruck tires, I'm unable to trust equipment. I can't imagine trusting ropes and rings to hold me safely off the ground. I'm glad you men are out and up there, stay safe.
I’d like to think I could climb the main tower part of it because you’re on the inside surrounded by structure. As soon as I had to go onto the antenna and trust those horizontal pegs? Just no …
As a former Cliff Rescue Instructor I’ve taught workers how to effect a Rescue of a Workmate from these dizzying heights.
I use to have a fear of swamps, then I got job oil surveying and 90 percent of the time I was waist deep in a swamp. I got shocked by 480VAC and had a deep respect to stay away from high voltage and my job for last 16 years has me often dealing with 480VAC. Fears can be overcome. I have a 60 foot tower and looking at it I would be thinking to my self "No frickin way I'm going up there", but I since have climb that tower several of times installing new antennas.
I'm so glad they wear helmets!
The helmets aren't to protect them if they fall off the tower. They are to protect them from something small being dropped or falling like a small bolt or nut. Maybe a small wrench.
I've slipped and banged my head against the tower and stood up in the wrong place and bumped my head while working on towers. The helmets are actually a good idea.
Yeah. So glad that helmet has a body to cushion the fall.
I use to tie mine off for about 100 feet. Useless piece of plastic extra weight. Made you sweat
If you are the only guy on a tower then what's gonna hit you from above? Probably only bird shit.
@Big Wheel when one of those guys falls head first, the helmet contains much more than just their brains. It can even contain their feet.
I used to climb to before I got a job promotion to Director of Engineering for a local radio station market group of 4 Class C FMs and two 50kw AM DAs. I was told I'm no longer allowed to climb. I can't say I miss it. Sadly in 2007 we lost a good friend I had hired many times. Anthony Shands out of east Texas. Great guy. He worked on almost all of my towers. Sadly, he lost his life on a 150' free-standing tower in Shreveport Louisiana installing a dish for point-to-point internet service. He was still climbing at 71 years old. RIP Sir.
HIGH TOWER CLIMBERS AND WORKERS, MY RESPECT TO THEM. THEY CAN HAVE THAT JOB ANYTIME. GOING UP TO THE ROOF OF MY TWO STORY HOME, IS JUST MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ME.
When you climb ladders you can put your safety clip on the side of the ladder instead of directly to the rungs. If you are climbing some really janky stuff you can blow out the rung you are clipped to. If you clip to the side of the ladder you may still blow a rung but now you got to go through every single rung on the entire length of the ladder.
Exactly. The rungs are inserted in holes on the side of the ladder. Then they weld them in from the outside of the ladder. I think it’s called plug welding.
Well… anyway. That’s how a friend of mine fell 180’ from the Benning Rd Pepco tower in DC. He put his belly pelican hook on the rung. He didn’t put his fall arresting lanyard on. He leaned back, the pelican hook slid over to the side. The weld didn’t hold and the rung popped out the side of them ladder and down he went. 180’ head first into the tongue of a Pepco trailer.
DRT!
RIP my friend. 🙏🏻
Man just watching these kinds of videos make my testicles feel like they're dropping to the floor...... These guys are crazy brave for sure.
That's LITERALLY where it affects me too. It gets painful right in my "taint". I've never figured out a medical reason why...
Unimaginable work. Hats off, I applaud!
3:36 kudos to the tough as nails half-person who still wants to do it!
A lot of respect for those guy’s. Thank you for what you do!
Guys*
These guys are not only brave and fearless, these guys are certifiably insane.
Thank you
Did this job over 15 yrs 1000ft and up. Best job for excitment I ever had. I am sure I have a paper plane record and a golf ball drive from the top several times. Much love tower dogs!
I'm amazed tower climbers aren't making six-figure incomes. I'm not afraid of heights - normally - but these tower climbing videos give me cold sweats. Still, I find them (and my reaction to them) fascinating.
CitizenKate well their income is truely dependent on how much the tower actually makes
@@lilithcard2568 no, its dependant on the company
6:07 - That patriarchy making her work in a comfortable and safe environment while men risk their lives to literally keep the lights on.
Makes you think.
I'm not so sure you will figure it out.
Exactly, don't see woman doin this...
That’s because she’s part of admin, genius. I’m a female who does this just fine. Your gender doesn’t really effect how strong you are in proportion to your body weight.
@@Louisebrady3289 bahhahahahaa
These are special guys
I’m a pilot. I turn my plane every way I can within its limits. But I’d never get up there.
I know a guy who used to climb. He had no problems with it yet he thought I was the crazy one.
I don't believe you are a pilot
More planes crash than towers - and from higher up too!
Thanks. I’ve worked in broadcast media for years, purchased towers, had towers come down - but never climbed one. Love your work…
I'm not afraid of heights. I worked in AM radio for a while - the towers weren't nearly that tall, but they still needed relamping every so often. I'm no longer strong enough to haul my ass up the tower, but I still visit every tall building I can find. The tallest I've been to so far is the CN Tower in Toronto (which *is* a broadcasting tower), followed by the new One World Trade building in NYC. I haven't been to any of the big ones in Asia, and of course the ultimate would be Burj Khalifa in Dubai. But I'll take the elevator, thankyouverymuch!
I worked on the antenna on the TWC's North Tower. I gotta say that it was freaky watching the north tower go down, not just seeing the antenna going down, but knowing that there were thousands of people who didn't make it out of there. I don't cry often, but I sure as hell cried a lot that day.
I live very close to NYC; I didn't see the actual impacts, or the towers falling, except on TV, but I could see, and sometimes smell, the smoke afterwards... and I knew a couple of people who made it out before the buildings collapsed... and one who didn't. But New York is strong, and so are New Yorkers, and we carry on.
I sometimes wonder if lack of fear of heights is genetic. My father was not afraid and neither am I, although I didn't climb towers for a living. Loved mountaineering and rock climbing. Dad was a fireman. He would climb anything.
May the Lord God Almighty protect you incredibly brave workers. What you do for a profession is nothing short of amazing. You do this so we can all watch TV. I am humbled. Thank you.
Man why hasn't anyone made a movie about this lifestyle, would be such a cool blockbuster picture if they make it right....
Because the feminists would shit a brick!!!!
They have, sorta : www.imdb.com/title/tt0122906/
ruclips.net/video/RISot1z9Y6A/видео.html
I was in the Army Airborne Ft. Bragg NC. Me and another paratrooper got sent to Cedar and Bodie islands off the eastern coast. We were working with some Army guys from Ft. Wachuka . They were radar tower builders. We were heavy equipment operators. After this tower was built, 123 ft. in the air. One of the tower builders came and got me early in the morning. We climbed the tower. The top was flat and just big enough for two guys to sit on it. No safety lines at all the tower was swaying slightly back and forth. We smoked a joint and watched the sun come up over the ocean. He said, you jump out of Airplanes and Choppers that's something I don't think I could do. But I wanted to show you how what we do can be pretty scary too.
I said...you did...you did show me...now let's get down.
I actually have vertigo. But being Airborne, I couldn't say no to the challenge. He took pictures before we got down and promised to send me copies, but never did. And that was only 123 ft. in the air. 2000 ft. WOW.
That must have been some damned good weed!
That is exclusive club I would not like to join in any circumstances. I feel anxious just by watching these videos.
Right? Genuine anxiety. These lads are a different bunch.
I used up a value pack of Charmin just watching this.
Please pass the charmin.
where is your Charmin now? muahahaahaahaah
Good thing that wasn't in 2020
Yeah that's like $400 worth right now. You got any left?
@Harry Clams you've committed crimes against skyrim and her people what do you say in you're defence?
sigh just one more club in my lifetime that I will never become
I worked in the coal mines for years. You don't really realize how far underground you are so it doesn't curl your hair as much as this. I was 1200 underground at one mine and got to look up an air shaft that put things into perspective. It was sobering to say the least. I walked through a section of the mine and ten minutes later as I walked back out a rock the size of a suburban had fallen out of the top. Ten minutes later and it would have got me. Why did I do it? Well I have to take care of my loved ones as best I can and I couldn't make the money like that anywhere else. God bless and stay safe.
Did you ever dig into an old tree like 100 to 200 ft down?
@@bigE35094 No, about 800 feet down, the stump called a kettle bottom.
FIRE COMMENT
RESPECT
I've free climbed some medium towers around my town and some wind turbines as well. The turbines are easy tho. Being in an enclosed space is much less scary. I've been obsessed with climbing man made structures since I was a a young teenager. It's such a rush to be at the top of the world.
That's what James Cagney said. "I made it Momma, I'm on top of the world!"
have you tried the pyramids? Eiffel tower? Pyramids were the highest point for about 5000 years and eiffel tower for 40-50 years...
I'll climb as high as the next guy. Just as long as I can keep one foot on the ground.
I'm scared of heights.
One of the only things I'm afraid of.
But that's exactly why I like to climb.
I enjoy the fear, its one of the few times I get to feel something, feel excitement.
Anxiety nothing but anxiety when watching this good gravy
Xanax my friend, xanax.
Not enough Xanax on the planet to help that.
@@virtuesethonor4287 Babiturates.
Imagine reaching the top of a 2000 ft tower then realising you're desperate for a crap.
bombs away
When you've gotta go, you've gotta go...
Then you’d just go.... that was easy to imagine
That's the reason I carry an extra set of clothes in the truck.
Depends are suggested just like the rope and hook
These men that sir for the interviews declined needing chairs , their solid brass balls worked well for a sit down interview.
Respect to you guys - I feel nervous on top of a ladder. Hope you get paid well and get all the support you need.
If I ever got over a 100 feet on tower, they would have to use pry bar to make me move.
I'd rather swim with sharks, at night.
I use to erect steel building,big deal,but I did have a green horn climb a 40 ft coulem,made it to the top,looked down,and that was it he froze to that beam,his eyes went bug eyed,had to send my paratrooper up there to get him,I had a crew,me always led,they followed,one my cousin (right hand man,knew what I was thinking and vise versa,one was a rock and roller hippy,the next was my military special opps guy,we were a team,we did the work of two crew are selfs,back in the day when you walk the purlins over,no safety ropes,platforms,fancy equipment,just balls,sometimes,I always evaluated safety ,we counted on nothing but nerves and knowen physically abilities
@@terryhill1831 you are talking bullshit
@@johncitizen6332 fool
terry hill Not, sure, why, you, use, so, many, commas,.
I have a ton of respect for you guys! I spent some time in Iraq and I would gladly go back before ever climbing a 2,000 ft. tower. Thank you for your service to your communities!
3:18 lol 5%? I think you'd need a sample size a lot bigger than 100 people to just get one who would do it
This is something that interests me. I might pursue this.
Oooo Jacob your so brave
Go for it.
Teso 101 like deadass I’m interested
@@jacobnemeth7634 I am going to school to climb cell towers this January. I went to my local community college and got an EMT B. From the research I have done in this career field the most important skill is the ability to be non complacent. Your safety is number one all the time. Fuck the haters and the people that want to make you feel like a fool. The people that do that are sad.
To put another human down is one of the worst atrocities in my opinion. You should do what you want and tell everyone else. “Don’t worry about me... just sit back and watch”. I believe in you and I know you have a bright future
Seeing the actual antenna on the ground is pretty concerning especially seeing how you guys had been climbing it. Did they determine what the failure of that antenna mounting was ? Thinking back at climbing that antenna and seeing it on the ground is what I'd really be afraid of.
That would 100% be a reason to not climb that exact type of tower just only once more.
Of course the engineers calculate the failure stress of mounting hardware. But along comes a heavy windstorm one night, one of the 15yr old bolts breaks, and the antenna falls down. No amount of engineering can make something last forever.
@@_GOD_HAND_ There lie worlds between "Nothing lasts forever" and "Tower dropped". And yeah such a tower should always, always survive a heavy windstorm, or otherwise get diassembled.
@@maxschmidt666 Sure thing, buddy. I guess that's why bad weather has never destroyed anything humans have ever built before. Real life throws curveballs.
@@_GOD_HAND_ Exactly
I’ll stay in the NOPE club.
Used to work in the derrick, about 150 feet up, on a work over rig in the 80s pulling oil well pipe, 3 lengths of pipe at a time, to do maintenance on the pump at the bottom of the pipe. NP. 30 yrs later I bought some gaffs to prep a tree to fell and I could not talk my legs into going father up than 100 feet. The safety equipment made it completely safe, but my body wasn't buying it.
why dont they weld round metal hooks on those steps so you can hook your carabiners on it..?
"If you fall, you have reeeeeeally long time to wave goodbye!" 😂😂
I'd be worried about the massive crater/earthquake their balls would make on impact.
300is my max. And I learned quite a bit about what makes me nervous.
This coming from a guy who was snoozing during mortar attacks and didn't mind lighting up the occasional IED with a 50 cal...
Dunno why, but if I'm jumping from a plane I'm fine. If I'm at the top of a mountain I'm fine. But my god do I get the shakes when I climb a big ole exposed tower with nothing around me but the air.
Storms and Saugeye I've heard stories of people using tower climbers for target practice
A fall of 300 feet would kill you just the same as 2000. Once you get above 45 it’s all death. Just do iiiiit
i agree, been over 200 but dont want to go higher. Something about it is just eerie, but if the boss says go then you got to.
If the boss says go i pull my pants down show him my tiny ween and quit
Well, my guess would be the lack of a parachute. I know that's what I'd want. Don't care if it adds 10 pounds to my climb... Kick off and glide down.
Most people underestimate their capability to adapt to pretty much any situation (famine, concentration camp, war etc.). Everyone is afraid of heights - including me - yet I briefly did my share of climbing on smaller antennas. It is all about people you climb with and about feeling safe. When an antenna is not very safe to climb you feel bad no matter how experienced you are. I have quit because I was assigned to a dude everyone hated (I could not stand him either), not because of the job itself. On the other, it is always possible this decision saved my life. You never know. I believe there is a higher power above us protecting us as long as we are not arrogant.
It should be required to have parachutes on their backs. If it was me, I’d be the dweeb rocking one just in case
Wouldn't be enough time for it to open fully for a lot of the potential fall height. Also would be a high chance of it snagging and ripping.
@@PolakInHolland better get your bones broken than be paste
I'm a lineman with the military.. when we climb towers we are referred to as sniper bait so thats always fun
😂
i laughed my ass off reading this for some reason, thank you.