Helicopter Installs New HD Antenna

Merrifield, Va (WUSA) --- Sunday morning motorists on the Capital Beltway in Northern Virginia were treated to a sight more interesting than bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Public Broadcaster, MHZ networks, hired a huge construction helicopter to airlift a new antenna to the top of its 614-foot tower near the intersection of the Beltway and I-66.

The 4-ton UHF antenna is being installed as part of the international cultural and news broadcasters' upgrade to digital television. The station will operate on Channel 24 beginning in February of 2009.

Seven men on the tower and a crew of two on the helicopter first removed an old antenna and a small section of tower. The workers then replaced it with the new antenna.

The operation had been scheduled for Saturday morning but had to be postponed because of weather. Sunday's antenna placement operation went smoothly. That's the word from Pam DeWolfe, tower manager.

The helicopter is from Construction Helicopters, a firm based in Texas. The tower crew handling the work is US Tower Corporation.

The entire operation took about two hours.

Video/pictures by Greg Guise