If you see black helicopters over Austin on Saturday, don’t panic! Austin Energy will be doing line aerial inspections between 9am and noon, and the helicopter they are using happens to be black.

The local utility just sent out this press release, pre-empting any panicky phone calls to the media tomorrow:

Tomorrow morning (Saturday – April 28) between 9:00 a.m. and Noon – a contract helicopter crew will perform an aerial inspection of various Austin Energy transmission lines principally in the north and northeast areas of Austin. Transmission lines are those mounted on poles and towers that are 100+ feet tall.

The all-black helicopter will fly well above the lines inspecting them through special visual equipment.

This is a routine inspection performed in advance of routine maintenance work that will occur on some of the lines next week.

So don’t get all Alex Jones-y tomorrow, it’s just a line inspection.

Or maybe that’s what they want you to think.

This article appears in April 27 • 2012.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.