Why Do Montana Powerlines Have Those Big Colored Balls?

What Are Those Colored Balls On Montana's Power Lines?

While on a drive, you may have noticed a floating ball on the power lines in Montana. Especially the lower lines. What are they for? Art? For birds to land on? To keep you from going road blind?

According to Reader's Digest, there's a very good reason for these brightly colored balls.  Safety.

The Balls Are For The Safety Of Low-flying Aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration mandates the balls must be on wires that go across canyons, lakes, rivers, and power lines surrounding airports.

From Reader's Digest, back in the 70's, the late Winthrop Rockefeller was travelling by plane when he noticed how close the airplane flew to the almost invisible power lines. He then directed Edward Holland to find a way to make the electrical wires visible to aircraft.

Since then, not only have countless human lives been saved, the marker balls (also known as aerial balls or visibility balls) have also helped save the lives of thousands of Canadian Geese who used to hit power lines when landing in bad weather.

The Colors Of The Balls Depend On The Area They Are Hung In

The color of the marker balls are set to stand out against the landscape. The most common colors are white, yellow and aviation orange, but can vary depending on the background the power lines reside.

What Are The Power Line Balls Made Of And What Size Are They?

The markers are made of plastic, and despite looking small from our vantage point, the marker balls are about the size of a basketball, between 20 to 36 inches, and they weigh between 11 and 17 pounds each.

Now, when you're on a Montana road-trip with friends and family, you can dazzle them with your ball knowledge.