What Are Those Balls That Hang on Power Lines In Michigan For?

I remember as a kid looking out the window of my mom's car and seeing the different colored balls that were on the power lines.

I wondered to myself what the heck were those things for.

Get our free mobile app

Well now I'm an adult and with the power of the internet, I have found the answer.

What Are Those Balls That Hang on Power Lines In Michigan For?

They go by several names such as Aircraft warning spheres, marker balls, or aerial warning spheres, and are used as a visual marking of overhead power lines.

They are placed on power lines to make the conductor crossings visible to aircraft pilots. The conductors and skyline wires become almost invisible against the terrain when flying.

Helicopters and small planes often fly low in mountain passes or over freeways while approaching airports.

Why Were Power Line Marker Balls Created?

According to an article from United Press International, the marker balls first gained popularity in the early 1970s, when Arkansas’s then-governor Winthrop Rockefeller noticed electric wires whiz by as his aircraft started to land and decided something should be done to make them more obvious to pilots.

Why Are Power Line Marker Balls Different Colors?

If you ever noticed different colored power line balls and wondered if they meant different things, turns out it's all about visibility.

The FAA found aviation orange, white and yellow were the easiest to see, but colors must have to be as easily seen as possible against the background.

That means you might see other colors, depending on where you live.

Watch A Helicopter Install Of Power Line Marker Balls

There is no way you'll ever find me up in the air installing those things.