Tough Jobs: Ober Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway Maintenance Crew

Perhaps the best, bird's eye view of the Great Smoky Mountains is dangling from a cable. For 36 years, the Ober Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway has been transporting millions of guests up and down Mount Harrison.

Thanks to new cars and enhanced viewing areas, the 2-mile ride over the Smokies is more panoramic than ever. 

It's hard to top--unless of course, you're tasked with managing the Tramway's maintenance.

"It's a little different than most jobs," says Jerry Dean. "There's an element of danger to it."

He's worked with the tramway for 13 years. He and the 4-man maintenance crew don't ride inside the aluminum gondola--they ride on top!

Early every morning, rain or shine, sleet or snow, they run maintenance rides.

"It's just like an automobile. It's mechanical. Sometimes, there's very little, and sometimes there's a whole lot."

From the cables and cars to wheels and weight, every inch of the Tramway must be checked off before passengers board.

The perks or peaks:

"Early in the morning and first view riding up, probably the best view of the whole day."

The worst part of the job? Days when the crew has to literally walk the line to change a wheel on the cable above.

"We walk out probably 6-8 feet and sit down and drop the wheel," says Dean. "There's always a chance of something happening, that you drop something. There's people under you. There's houses."

Ober Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway runs every 20 minutes.

For more information call (865) 436-5423.