Black Helicopter Alert

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.