4 Ways of Looking at a Lamp

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As a higher calling
Some may see the beacon at the top of the Empire State Building as a mere cherry on a famous architectural sundae, but the lamp means serious business. Since the flashing light is used to help guide planes, building officials must call the Federal Aviation Administration if it ever goes dark. Electrician Tom Silliman, from Chandler, Indiana, is one of the handful of men who have changed the light perched 1,453 feet above the Big Apple.

"I am an electrical engineer and a qualified climber. These two things usually don't go together, and because I have both, I do a lot of unique projects," says Silliman, 63. He's made his way up the 254-foot antenna tower hundreds of times for a variety of other repairs, but changing the 620-watt lightbulb is a less frequent need thanks to new energy-efficient models that last about five years.