
Helicopter line maintenance
With a network area of 255,000km2, that’s a lot of ground to cover. One way to improve the efficiency of our work is to use a helicopter to conduct patrols/inspections, insulator treatment, and routine maintenance of transmission and distribution lines and assets. It also means that we don’t need to drive on to your property to do all of this.
Pollution and humidity can build up on electrical insulators and so we need to keep them clean to minimise reliability issues. Live line insulator treatment means that the power stays on while we do it. The helicopters fly low – around the same height as poles – so we recommend that farmers who may be concerned about disruption to their livestock consider moving them away from power lines.
2025 schedule
Task: Transmission line inspections
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Abba River | September 2025 |
Ambergate | September 2025 |
Ardath | September 2025 |
Ballajura | September 2025 |
Beermullah | September 2025 |
Bellevue | September 2025 |
Beckenham | September 2025 |
Bellevue | September 2025 |
Benger | September 2025 |
Bennett Springs | September 2025 |
Bickley | September 2025 |
Binduli | September 2025 |
Blythewood | September 2025 |
Bodallin | September 2025 |
Boonanarring | September 2025 |
Boorabbin | September 2025 |
Boulder | September 2025 |
Boundain | September 2025 |
Boyanup | September 2025 |
Broadwood | September 2025 |
Bruce Rock | September 2025 |
Brunswick | September 2025 |
Bullabulling | September 2025 |
Canning Mills | September 2025 |
Capel | September 2025 |
Capel River | September 2025 |
Carmel | September 2025 |
Carrabin | September 2025 |
Cataby | September 2025 |
Champion Lakes | September 2025 |
Cookernup | September 2025 |
Cowaramup | September 2025 |
Coolgardie | September 2025 |
Coolup | September 2025 |
Coonabidgee | September 2025 |
Copley | September 2025 |
Cullacabardee | September 2025 |
Dalyellup | September 2025 |
Dardanup West | September 2025 |
Darlington | September 2025 |
Davenport | September 2025 |
Dayton | September 2025 |
Doobarda | September 2025 |
Dumberning | September 2025 |
East Wickepin | September 2025 |
Elgin | September 2025 |
Eneabba | September 2025 |
Forrestania | September 2025 |
Forrestdale | September 2025 |
Gelorup | September 2025 |
Ghooli | September 2025 |
Glen Forrest | September 2025 |
Glen Iris | September 2025 |
Gooseberry Hill | September 2025 |
Gorrie | September 2025 |
Gosnells | September 2025 |
Granville | September 2025 |
Hacketts Gully | September 2025 |
Helena Valley | September 2025 |
Highbury | September 2025 |
Hithergreen | September 2025 |
Hyden | September 2025 |
Kadathinni | September 2025 |
Kalgoorlie | September 2025 |
Kalgup | September 2025 |
Kanowna | September 2025 |
Karlgarin | September 2025 |
Karlkurla | September 2025 |
Kelmscott | September 2025 |
Kirk Rock | September 2025 |
Kondinin | September 2025 |
Koolanooka | September 2025 |
Korbel | September 2025 |
Kulin West | September 2025 |
Kwinana Beach | September 2025 |
Lexia | September 2025 |
Mahogany Creek | September 2025 |
Malaga | September 2025 |
Malyalling | September 2025 |
Mandogalup | September 2025 |
Martin | September 2025 |
Melaleuca | September 2025 |
Merredin | September 2025 |
Middle Swan | September 2025 |
Midvale | September 2025 |
Mimegarra | September 2025 |
Mokine | September 2025 |
Moore River National Park | September 2025 |
Moorine Rock | September 2025 |
Mount Holland | September 2025 |
Muchea | September 2025 |
Muckenburra | September 2025 |
Muluckine | September 2025 |
Mundaring | September 2025 |
Muresk | September 2025 |
Myalup | September 2025 |
Nangeenan | September 2025 |
Narrogin Valley | September 2025 |
Naval Base | September 2025 |
Norpa | September 2025 |
North Boyanup | September 2025 |
Northam | September 2025 |
Oakford | September 2025 |
Orange Springs | September 2025 |
Paradise | September 2025 |
Paulls Valley | September 2025 |
Pelican Point | September 2025 |
Piccadilly | September 2025 |
Picton | September 2025 |
Picton East | September 2025 |
Piesse Brook | September 2025 |
Piesseville | September 2025 |
Pinjar | September 2025 |
Pinjarra | September 2025 |
Postans | September 2025 |
Ravenswood | September 2025 |
Regans Ford | September 2025 |
Roelands | September 2025 |
Rothsay | September 2025 |
Sawyers Valley | September 2025 |
Somerville | September 2025 |
South Bodallin | September 2025 |
South Boulder | September 2025 |
South Burracoppin | September 2025 |
South Kumminin | September 2025 |
Southern Cross | September 2025 |
Spencers Brook | September 2025 |
Stirling Estate | September 2025 |
Stratham | September 2025 |
Swan View | September 2025 |
The Lakes | September 2025 |
The Plains | September 2025 |
The Spectacles | September 2025 |
Tutunup | September 2025 |
Uduc | September 2025 |
Vasse | September 2025 |
Vittoria | September 2025 |
Wadderin | September 2025 |
Wagerup | September 2025 |
Wagin | September 2025 |
Walgoolan | September 2025 |
Wallaroo | September 2025 |
Walliston | September 2025 |
Wandi | September 2025 |
Waroona | September 2025 |
Warradarge | September 2025 |
Waterloo | September 2025 |
Wellesley | September 2025 |
West Coolup | September 2025 |
West Kalgoorlie | September 2025 |
West Swan | September 2025 |
Whiteman | September 2025 |
Wickepin | September 2025 |
Wogolin | September 2025 |
Wokalup | September 2025 |
Womarden | September 2025 |
Woottating | September 2025 |
Yalgoo | September 2025 |
Yanchep | September 2025 |
Yarloop | September 2025 |
Yeal | September 2025 |
Yellowdine | September 2025 |
Yilkari | September 2025 |
Yilliminning | September 2025 |
Yoongarillup | September 2025 |
Task: Distribution insulator treatment
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Badgingarra | September 2025 |
Ballidu | September 2025 |
Barberton | September 2025 |
Berkshire Valley | September 2025 |
Bindi Bindi | September 2025 |
Boothendarra | September 2025 |
Buntine | September 2025 |
Burakin | September 2025 |
Cadoux | September 2025 |
Cataby | September 2025 |
Cooljarloo | September 2025 |
Coomberdale | September 2025 |
Dalwallinu | September 2025 |
Dandaragan | September 2025 |
East Ballidu | September 2025 |
Goodlands | September 2025 |
Jibberding | September 2025 |
Kalannie | September 2025 |
Karranadgin | September 2025 |
Kondut | September 2025 |
Konnongorring | September 2025 |
Koomberkine | September 2025 |
Kulja | September 2025 |
Lake Ninan | September 2025 |
Manmanning | September 2025 |
Marne | September 2025 |
Maya | September 2025 |
Miamoon | September 2025 |
Miling | September 2025 |
Mimegarra | September 2025 |
Minnivale | September 2025 |
Mocardy | September 2025 |
Mollerin | September 2025 |
Moora | September 2025 |
Newcarlbeon | September 2025 |
Nugadong | September 2025 |
Petrudor | September 2025 |
Pithara | September 2025 |
Walebing | September 2025 |
Walyormouring | September 2025 |
Watheroo | September 2025 |
Wongan Hills | September 2025 |
Wubin | September 2025 |
Xantippe | September 2025 |
Yathroo | September 2025 |
FAQs
The helicopter operates at roughly the same height as the power poles, ensuring effective silicone application.
We’re committed to improving network resilience for our communities. Helicopter maintenance work, especially insulator treatment, helps reduce the risk of pole top fires and ensures consistent and safe power supply across Western Australia.
We spray a protective layer of silicone onto insulators to reduce dust and pollution build up and reduce the risk of pole top fires.
We apply FCSIL6, a silicone product, to protect against potential electrical hazards. FCSIL6 is not classified as hazardous (based on the Global Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals).
It's unlikely the helicopter will need to land on private properties. However, if such a situation arises, we'll do our best to communicate with landowners in advance.
Please check our monthly list of suburbs. Our daily schedule is subject to change depending on weather and other operational considerations.
While undertaking maintenance activities on our network, our helicopters fly in accordance with aviation requirements and take into consideration things like residential streets and houses, main roads and livestock. Areas where helicopters cannot fly, we employ elevated work platform based silicone application to mitigate pole top fire risk.