
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, washing, siliconing, 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 washing 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: Distribution line washing and siliconing
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Badgingarra | March 2025 |
Barberton | March 2025 |
Berkshire Valley | March 2025 |
Buniche | March 2025 |
Dalwallinu | March 2025 |
Dandaragan | March 2025 |
Dunn Rock | March 2025 |
East Newdegate | March 2025 |
Hyden | March 2025 |
Jilakin | March 2025 |
Kuender | March 2025 |
Lake Biddy | March 2025 |
Lake Grace | March 2025 |
Magenta | March 2025 |
Miamoon | March 2025 |
Miling | March 2025 |
Moora | March 2025 |
Mount Sheridan | March 2025 |
Newdegate | March 2025 |
North Burngup | March 2025 |
Nugadong | March 2025 |
Pingaring | March 2025 |
Pithara | March 2025 |
South Newdegate | March 2025 |
Wubin | March 2025 |
Yathroo | March 2025 |
Task: Transmission line patrols
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Abba River | March 2025 |
Ambergate | March 2025 |
Balbarrup | March 2025 |
Benger | March 2025 |
Benjinup | March 2025 |
Blythewood | March 2025 |
Bowelling | March 2025 |
Boyanup | March 2025 |
Bridgetown | March 2025 |
Brunswick | March 2025 |
Capel River | March 2025 |
Cardiff | March 2025 |
Cookernup | March 2025 |
Coolup | March 2025 |
Dardanup West | March 2025 |
Davenport | March 2025 |
Diamond Tree | March 2025 |
Dingup | March 2025 |
Elgin | March 2025 |
Glen Iris | March 2025 |
Hester | March 2025 |
Hithergreen | March 2025 |
Kalgup | March 2025 |
Kangaroo Gully | March 2025 |
Kingston | March 2025 |
Manjimup | March 2025 |
Mcalinden | March 2025 |
Middlesex | March 2025 |
Muja | March 2025 |
Myalup | March 2025 |
North Boyanup | March 2025 |
Palgarup | March 2025 |
Paradise | March 2025 |
Pelican Point | March 2025 |
Picton | March 2025 |
Picton East | March 2025 |
Pinjarra | March 2025 |
Ravenswood | March 2025 |
Roelands | March 2025 |
Sunnyside | March 2025 |
The Plains | March 2025 |
Tutunup | March 2025 |
Uduc | March 2025 |
Vasse | March 2025 |
Wagerup | March 2025 |
Wagin | March 2025 |
Waroona | March 2025 |
Waterloo | March 2025 |
Wellesley | March 2025 |
West Coolup | March 2025 |
Wilga | March 2025 |
Wilgarrup | March 2025 |
Winnejup | March 2025 |
Wokalup | March 2025 |
Yarloop | March 2025 |
Yoongarillup | March 2025 |
Yornup | March 2025 |
Task: Transmission line inspections
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Anketell | March 2025 |
Baldivis | March 2025 |
Banksiadale | March 2025 |
Bibra Lake | March 2025 |
Binningup | March 2025 |
Blythewood | March 2025 |
Bowelling | March 2025 |
Buckingham | March 2025 |
Burekup | March 2025 |
Cardiff | March 2025 |
Cardup | March 2025 |
Casuarina | March 2025 |
Cookernup | March 2025 |
Fairbridge | March 2025 |
Harris River | March 2025 |
Hoffman | March 2025 |
Hopeland | March 2025 |
Keralup | March 2025 |
Keysbrook | March 2025 |
Malaga | March 2025 |
Mandogalup | March 2025 |
Mardella | March 2025 |
Marrinup | March 2025 |
Mornington | March 2025 |
Muja | March 2025 |
Mundijong | March 2025 |
Myalup | March 2025 |
Nambeelup | March 2025 |
Nanga Brook | March 2025 |
Naval Base | March 2025 |
North Dandalup | March 2025 |
Oakford | March 2025 |
Oakley | March 2025 |
Palmer | March 2025 |
Picton East | March 2025 |
Pinjarra | March 2025 |
Ravenswood | March 2025 |
Roelands | March 2025 |
Serpentine | March 2025 |
Shotts | March 2025 |
Teesdale | March 2025 |
Uduc | March 2025 |
Wagerup | March 2025 |
Wandi | March 2025 |
Waroona | March 2025 |
Waterloo | March 2025 |
Wellard | March 2025 |
Wellesley | March 2025 |
West Coolup | March 2025 |
West Pinjarra | March 2025 |
Wokalup | March 2025 |
Worsley | March 2025 |
Yarloop | March 2025 |
Task: Transmission line washing
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Allanson | March 2025 |
Ambergate | March 2025 |
Anketell | March 2025 |
Baldivis | March 2025 |
Banksiadale | March 2025 |
Beela | March 2025 |
Bibra Lake | March 2025 |
Blythewood | March 2025 |
Boallia | March 2025 |
Boundain | March 2025 |
Bowelling | March 2025 |
Bramley | March 2025 |
Brunswick | March 2025 |
Buckingham | March 2025 |
Cardiff | March 2025 |
Cardup | March 2025 |
Casuarina | March 2025 |
Cockburn Central | March 2025 |
Collie | March 2025 |
Cookernup | March 2025 |
Coolup | March 2025 |
Cowaramup | March 2025 |
Dardadine | March 2025 |
Darkan | March 2025 |
Dumberning | March 2025 |
East Wickepin | March 2025 |
Fairbridge | March 2025 |
Hammond Park | March 2025 |
Harris River | March 2025 |
Hoffman | March 2025 |
Hopeland | March 2025 |
Jindong | March 2025 |
Kaloorup | March 2025 |
Keralup | March 2025 |
Keysbrook | March 2025 |
Kirk Rock | March 2025 |
Kondinin | March 2025 |
Kulin West | March 2025 |
Malaga | March 2025 |
Malyalling | March 2025 |
Mandogalup | March 2025 |
Mardella | March 2025 |
Margaret River | March 2025 |
Marrinup | March 2025 |
Mornington | March 2025 |
Muja | March 2025 |
Mundijong | March 2025 |
Mungalup | March 2025 |
Nambeelup | March 2025 |
Nanga Brook | March 2025 |
Narrogin Valley | March 2025 |
North Dandalup | March 2025 |
Oakford | March 2025 |
Oakley | March 2025 |
Pinjarra | March 2025 |
Preston Settlement | March 2025 |
Ravenswood | March 2025 |
Roelands | March 2025 |
Serpentine | March 2025 |
South Lake | March 2025 |
Success | March 2025 |
Teesdale | March 2025 |
Treeton | March 2025 |
Vasse | March 2025 |
Wagerup | March 2025 |
Wandi | March 2025 |
Waroona | March 2025 |
Wellard | March 2025 |
Wellesley | March 2025 |
Wickepin | March 2025 |
Williams | March 2025 |
Wogolin | March 2025 |
Wokalup | March 2025 |
Worsley | March 2025 |
Yarloop | March 2025 |
Yilliminning | March 2025 |
FAQs
The helicopter operates at roughly the same height as the power poles, ensuring effective cleaning and silicone application.
We’re committed to improving network resilience for our communities. Helicopter maintenance work, especially the washing and siliconing of insulators, helps reduce the risk of pole top fires and ensures consistent and safe power supply across Western Australia.
The maintenance involves two steps. First, we spray insulators and powerlines with demineralised water. In the second phase we return to apply a protective silicone layer.
We start by using demineralised water for initial cleaning. Following that, 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.
Helicopters won’t be flying in and around residential streets, main roads, close to houses, livestock, etc. Other type of treatments can be employed to maintain the network where a helicopter cannot fly.