Noobie with power transmission line question or two

[Frankendrone]

There are a few high voltage transmission lines around here. You know, the type supported by the tall metal towers. Common sense tells me I'm not gonna fly near them. But out of curiosity, how close would a mini drone have to get to the wires before the drone might induce a short circuit arc from the wire through the drone and to the tower? I have read of folks climbing the towers and getting electrocuted by just being up there under certain weather conditions.

Also, when flying over them or under them, will the magnetic fields induced by the electric current flow interfere with the flight of the mini drone?

 

[holtneil]

Don't fly near them , I saw a guy fly a goblin 630 helicopter near a power line the big bang and spark was huge the helicopter is mostly carbon fibre when he got over to the heli the spark boiled off all the bonding in the carbon so all that was left was the carbon matting

 

[Bannerman]

If you completely cover your drone in aluminium foil, it that could protect it against all the electro-magnetic fields.
And then, if you run it into the power lines, the foil will produce a really beautiful display of sparks. Please post the video.

Ok, seriously, the radio control works in gigahertz, the power lines work on 50 or 60 hertz, so the control might be ok, but I won't guarantee the electro-magnetic fields won't swamp the control signals.

If you stay reasonably well clear of the power lines, the drone is electrically isolated from the ground by fifty feet of air, so it will not attract a spark.
(You see the birds on the lines ? They are fine. Until they connect two phases. Then they are toast.)

Obviously any normal enquiry to the power companies will result in "Just stay well clear.", but I would expect them to be regularly using drones for inspection of power lines, so if you know someone who works for them, you might get the inside information (Do they switch the power off first ?)

Or you could search for a "High Voltage Power Transmission Engineering" online forum, and put in a question about drone inspection of power lines (but make it sound like a professional enquiry).