Editor's Review

Have you ever seen orange or yellow balls attached to electricity lines in some parts of the country?

Have you ever seen orange or yellow balls attached to electricity lines in some parts of the country?

Some people have wondered why they are fixed on the transmission lines.

The balls are not decorative features but they are strategically placed on the power lines to help low-flying aircrafts.

In aviation, they are called marker balls. They are fixed near mountains such as in the Mt Kenya regions where planes fly and majorly in the Rift Valley region.

File image of a marker ball strategically fixed on a long electricity transmission line following aviation authority and energy approval to help planes flying in low altitude areas.PHOTO | COURTESY

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They are also strategically fixed on power lines on major highways, near airports and other areas where aircraft fly at low altitudes.

The bright-coloured visibility balls indicate where power lines are so that low-flying aircraft can avoid them.

In other countries like the US, coloured balls are mandatory on electricity transmission lines crossing canyons, lakes, and rivers.