PG&E To Inspect Sonoma County Gas Lines From Helicopter

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — PG&E is scheduled to conduct helicopter patrols this week in Sonoma County to ensure safety of the utility company's natural gas system and check for safe digging practices, a PG&E spokesperson said.

PG&E will use a contracted helicopter — likely the blue-and-white Bell 206B3 Long Ranger shown in the above photo — Thursday and Friday, April 30 and May 1, for the routine, low-level inspection of gas transmission lines within the outskirts of Sonoma County, PG&E Spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said.

Weather permitting, flights will be coming and going from the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport and the Ukiah Municipal Airport between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

Pilots will fly between 300 and 500 feet when conducting inspections.

The patrol inspections are part of PG&E's six-month leak survey and maintenance program, Contreras said.

"PG&E patrols remote gas lines, which are often located in rural areas, by helicopter as part of its continuing effort to ensure the safety and reliability of its natural gas system," Contreras said.

A spotter in the helicopter also uses a GPS-enabled tablet with mapping data to navigate the pipelines and document excavation and construction activity, or other observations that warrant follow-up.

If issues or obstructions are identified, it is possible helicopters may need to fly at a lower altitude for additional inspections.

Where appropriate, PG&E ground personnel are sent to construction areas to verify that safe digging practices are being followed. This includes confirming the use of a valid 811 ticket for proper marking of underground utility lines that help prevent the gas line from being hit.

"Using LIDAR-based equipment, PG&E crews are combining the use of state-of-the-art leak detection technology with a streamlined repair process to find and fix leaks faster than ever before," Contreras said.