[Al Skierkiewicz]

Roger,
Nice videos. Not to confuse our audience, the arc that appears in these two videos is not caused by the helicopter static but by the high potential of the lines that are being worked on. It is neccessary to bring the helicopter and the people to the same potential so that current does not flow through either. The suits are not protection from electricity as much as a convenience for the worker. The high potential causes the hair on your body to stand up and it distracts the workers. By wearing the conductive suit, the workers are not distracted and therefore more safe. Power lines that are above 100,000 volts are common in the US for cross country transmission.