A video sent to RTL by a viewer on Wednesday afternoon showed a helicopter flying at a very low altitude near power lines in the Berchem area. Since it was neither operated by the police nor by Air Rescue, the sighting prompted curiosity about its purpose.
The Administration of Air Navigation (ANA) clarified that the helicopter was contracted by the power grid operator to carry out routine inspections of high-voltage lines. These visual checks of cables and infrastructure take place every year from mid-June to mid-July, allowing any potential damage to the power network to be detected at an early stage.
The ANA further explained that the helicopter flies at such a low altitude to allow for close-up inspection, which requires flying lower than during a standard flight. For this mission, the Directorate of Civil Aviation issued a special permit, and the inspections are conducted in coordination with the ANA under a strictly regulated framework.
The helicopter was also spotted over Sanem on Thursday morning.
