Not much has changed for the surveyor's assistant / chainman / poleman, especially where GPS isn't used in smaller survey firms - It's still a lot of walking, holding a pole, doing some digging, doing some more walking, bushwacking, navigating barking dogs, climbing precarious fences. Although it's slightly inaccurate: Surveyors then, doing any kind of triangulation work, would have had access to the Troughton and Simms or Repsold theodolites, usually weighing up to 100kg a piece. And it was the surveyor's assistant who had that job. In fact, before the modern total station, and even in the days of the plane table, a survey crew would consist of a surveyor, a poleman, at least one (often two) chainman. For larger subdivision surveys, there may be an additional observer, while the surveyor and a computer would sit, often for weeks at a time, flipping through logarithmic tables and calculating the positions of boundaries, and computing the setting-out data for placing beacons on those boundaries. It was a monumental undertaking, the glory days of surveying.
Stefan van Veenendaal I’m a chainman in Georgia (the US state) and all of what you said is true. I’ve had many days where I came home covered in sweat, blood, and dirt.
GasMaskManifesto I'm right now studying to be a professional surveyor in South Africa and when I started my practical training my boss made me chainman. It's not an easy job, and I appreciate any man who will do it tirelessly and efficiently. But I have also been spoilt to have a boss who has a fantastic relationship with his regular chainman.
Stefan van Veenendaal good deal! I have some years in the field before I start thinking of school. In the meantime my practical education has been great, and my boss is starting to train me on the total station. I have major respect for anyone who can go out there and get dirty day after day.
Did Tony come up with a way to be paid (probably a large sum) for doing immersion therapy for his phobia? Well played. It's working, he's a lot calmer when climbing than he was in the beginning.
How is it nearly every episode has some segment with poor Tony climbing some perilous height? It makes my palms sweat just watching him. Actually now that I consider it, there's nearly a formula to each episode. Perilous height, piss, shit and something smelly enough to induce vomiting.
