This article was published in October 2021 and may be outdated.
Maintaining Live Transmission Lines By Helicopter
Our live line crews are training to maintain transmission lines while suspended from a helicopter.
An ‘Ascent Class D’ twin engine helicopter carrying members of our live line crew swoops over the towers and structures of our training centre north of Winnipeg and, as each crew member memorizes safety instructions, and masters safety procedures, they exit the helicopter to descend on towers to practice making repairs to the de-energized electrical system that duplicates the thousands of kilometres of energized power lines in Manitoba.
Live line crew members take turns learning how to hover underneath the helicopter.
The process is mesmerizing to watch, but also serves as a functional adaptation to line maintenance as crews trained to be lowered from, and carried below a helicopter, can repair and maintain difficult-to-reach transmission lines. It also reduces the time needed to make repairs, minimizes environmental impacts, helps us avoid outages, lowers costs, and improves customer experiences.
A live line crew member practices lifting off from ground.
Enlarge image: A worker is suspended from a rope below a hovering helicopter.