Talk about flying around the bases.
The Boston Red Sox took a creative approach to installing new light fixtures at Fenway Park this weekend — a helicopter.
Workers began the installation process on Sunday morning after months of planning, according to an internal newsletter obtained by the Globe.
A helicopter carried fixtures, each containing about eight to 10 lights, to crews waiting in Fenway’s towers, the newsletter said. As the helicopter hovered above the field, workers attached and installed the new lighting.
It was long overdue. The old lights, installed in 1982, took 20 to 25 minutes to warm up, which meant officials had to plan before turning them on. They were removed following the NHL Winter Classic and Frozen Fenway in January, according to the newsletter.
Advertisement
“They long surpassed their life expectancy, with spare parts becoming increasingly hard to find without some internet sleuthing,” the newsletter said.
The new light fixtures are LEDs and are more efficient and eco-friendly, according to the newsletter. The system has an instant on/off switch, a longer lifespan, and costs much less to operate.
“Fans have nothing to fear,” the newsletter said. “The brightness of the new LEDs are expected to match the ‘Fenway feel’ they’re used to.”
And there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for baseball fans: the Red Sox’s first night game is scheduled for April 3.
Kate Armanini can be reached at kate.armanini@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @KateArmanini.