Office in the Sky - Transcript

Bryan Limley's job separates him from most workers -- literally. And he has a unique perspective of the world because of where he works.

While most of his co-workers get right to work, Brian's arrival is a task in itself.

[Bryan Limley] "A lot of guys call me bluebird -- cuz, of course, the crane is blue."

Brian is a crane operator for Kiewit Construction. And his daily climb is a grueling ordeal that takes him anywhere from 6 to 40 stories up, depending upon the work site.

[Bryan Limley] "Right now with this crane I'm at approximately 182 feet. Some people get scared at 5 foot off the ground. It doesn't bother me. You've got to respect it when you're up there."

Today, Brian is perched 10 stories high as he helps construct a new science building at Creighton University in Omaha.

[Bryan Limley] "This is what I see looking out my window. It's a different perspective. On this job here, I can probably see on a clear day 4 to 5, even 7 miles out."

The tower crane is the defining tool of a construction site. But as majestic as the crane is, Brian's skybox office is anything but luxurious.

[Bryan Limley] "About a 4' x 4' box where I spend 10 hours per day, 5 days a week. It gets kind of lonely up here. But sometimes it's a lot nicer than being down on the ground around a lot of people. It's a nice change of pace, you know. You get out of the hustle and bustle of what's going on down below there."

But there are drawbacks. Once Brian settles into his workspace, he's committed to stay put -- lunches, breaks -- you name it.

[Bryan Limley] "Everyone wants to know where does that guy go to the restroom. I do what I have to do in the morning. If I have to do the other thing I use an empty detergent bottle. They smell fresh and nice and last a little while. That's all I'll tell you about that."

[Bryan Limley] "Yeah, go ahead, Tony."

[Bryan's co-worker] "I got Roger going out in a little Ford Ranger here."

[Bryan Limley] "Gonna make a pick for the iron workers."

Brian's job at the construction site is much like that of a quarterback. But instead of one coach, he has multiple coaches - the contractors in different construction trades calling in the plays. Each play is called a pick - as in pickup.

[Bryan Limley] "I've got two joysticks. Kind of feel like Captain Kirk or playing video games all day. You pretty much touch each piece. It's a team effort. It's not the crane that makes a good crane operator. It's the guy signaling the crane that makes a good crane operator."

[Steve Nesemeier - Iron Worker] "Oh, you couldn't get the job done without it. There's no way. The structural -- the brick layers are flying their brick up there. The carpenters are putting their metal studs and drywall in the building. I don't see how you could build a building without a crane to be honest with you. I don't know how they built the pyramids.

[Bryan Limley] "I like it because everybody has to look up to me. I'm a short guy, only 5'5". Up there, I'm 182 foot tall."

[Interviewer] "Do people really look up to you?"

[Bryan Limley] "They better, or they'll be carrying their stuff up the floors."