NSTAR To Conduct Helicopter Inspections

Wayland residents could hear and see helicopters in the area beginning Monday, July 23 and throughout the week as NSTAR conducts its annual summer helicopter inspections of the electrical equipment located in the right-of-way.

The inspections are aimed at helping to ensure the reliability of the region's electrical transmission system

“Residents and businesses depend on reliable electric service to power their day-to-day lives,” Werner Schweiger, NSTAR president, said in a press release issued Friday. “Our annual helicopter inspections of the transmission lines in Eastern Massachusetts are a critical part of NSTAR’s commitment to providing that reliable service.”

The company will use infrared scanning equipment to inspect all its electric transmission facilities in Eastern Massachusetts.

"This equipment helps engineers detect possible problems before they become visible to the naked eye, allowing them to schedule any necessary corrections before reliability issues arise," the company stated in the press release. "Unlike the inspections NSTAR performed earlier this year, the current work will not require the helicopter to hover over transmission equipment for any length of time."

The helicopter inspections are expected to begin in NSTAR’s northern service area on Monday and Tuesday, including Walpole to MetroWest, up to Waltham and Lexington, and down to the South Shore. 

On Wednesday and Thursday, the inspections will continue along the South Shore, proceeding to the Greater New Bedford area and then on to Cape Cod.