News 6 engineer shares what it’s like making repairs 1,300 feet in the air

ORLANDO, Fla. – For several, individuals going to perform signifies driving to the workplace and logging into their laptop or computer. But for Information 6 Maintenance Supervisor Ben Vaughn, the day begins 1,300 toes up in the air.

Vaughn has labored as an engineer at News 6 in Orlando considering that 2018.

When he first accepted the gig, he claimed he didn’t know it would involve heading hundreds of feet up into the air to make repairs to a Television set news tower.

Vaughn spoke with Florida’s Fourth Estate hosts Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden about how he arrived to Information 6.

Examine out more of Ben Vaughn’s journey to make repairs on the News 6 broadcast tower:

“I was in video clip write-up-manufacturing in New York for 20 many years. When I took this work, I was like, ‘Oh, I can operate on machines and pcs,’” he reported.

Not very long after he was hired, he claimed there was an problem at the tower. He said he was anxious the initially time he had to make a mend so significant over the floor.

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“I actually never ever stood up the full time I was up there. I was on my fingers and knees. Totally terrified,” Vaughn said.

Over time, even with the swaying, clanking and vibrating, Vaugh claimed he has gotten a ton far more at ease working on a 1,300-foot-higher platform, but he appreciates he has to be very careful.

He mentioned crews always go up the tower in pairs, just in case a person of them has hassle having down.

“One guy has to be capable to get the other particular person off the tower, get them into the elevator,” he said.

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But, when you think of an elevator, it is not 1 of all those fancy types you see in a hotel. It appears more like a smaller metallic cage and when two men are driving in it together for 26 minutes up and 26 minutes down, matters can get tight.

Vaughn claimed he often rides “belly to belly” and that “Larry and I have spent a lot of close time collectively.”

Most not long ago the duo went up the tower to resolve an antenna that will allow viewers at household to see the signal from the Sky 6 helicopter are living. Vaughn mentioned he and the engineering division go up 2 times a calendar year just to maintenance, exchange or inspect these antennas.

When they go up Vaughn stated, it’s vital to make absolutely sure you never go up way too significant.

“You’d die… you are chatting about an enormous amount of money of RF vitality. I mean, we frequently, close to the base of the tower, you will see useless birds and whatnot. I mean, it’s like staying in a microwave,” he reported. “If you ended up to go any better than, say 1,500 toes, then you would have to have on an RF alarm, very similar to a radiation alarm.”

As with all the things else in Florida, Vaughn mentioned weather also plays a component in when engineers can go up the tower to make repairs.

“In Florida, you are off that tower by one o’clock. If it is performed or not, you are off,” he stated.

The rationale? The large hazard of lightning strikes.

When you are seeking to get down, if for some rationale, the elevator doesn’t do the job, Vaugh said, that is where your protection harness arrives into perform.

“There’s a ladder” and you would have to lock and unlock your harness the total way down.

“You greater have nice boots on. Usually, the insides of your feet are likely to be destroyed,” he mentioned.

Irrespective of the inherent danger associated, Vaughn stated he and the entire engineering crew at Information 6 is dedicated to executing what ever it usually takes.

“We all have a prevalent intention, and that purpose is to make positive that the station stays on the air,” Vaughn mentioned.

To study much more, check out out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download it from anywhere you hear to podcasts or watch it at any time on News 6+.

For issues, you can reach out to Florida’s Fourth Estate producer Tiffany Browne.