Revolutionizing power line maintenance

Flying linemen utilize innovative helicopter approach in Bandon Project

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Posted on Jul 27 2026 in A Co-op Perspective, Bartholomew County REMC, Clark County REMC, Daviess-Martin County REMC, Decatur County REMC, Dubois REC, Harrison REMC, Henry County REMC, Jackson County REMC, Orange County REMC, Southern Indiana Power, WIN Energy REMC
Helicopter above power lines

If you were in the right place at the right time near a 12-mile stretch of transmission lines between Tell City North and Bandon Substation in early April, you might have caught a glimpse of flying linemen tethered underneath a helicopter, soaring through the air as part of Hoosier Energy’s Bandon Static Wire Replacement Project.

Saving five months of work

It was the first time using that approach for Hoosier, but it delivered in efficiency, as wire was replaced across 95 structures in less than three weeks rather than six months.

The contractor on the project, Intren, hired the helicopter crew, with the linemen coming from California to perform the aerial line work.

Before anyone took to the skies, local cooperative Southern Indiana Power had its part to play. With a section of the line out for the duration of the project, they identified the regulators needed to support the substation. They installed them a month before the project began to supply members with power.

Out with the old, in with the new

With the prep work done, the flying linemen began a two-part process.

First, the helicopter flew the linemen out to each structure to remove the old hardware and pull the static wire out. Much of the old wire had multiple splices, in some cases more than 20, from trees and limbs falling on the line in the past. These incidents weren’t the primary reason for the replacement, but they were a contributing factor.

During the removal of the old wire, a few structures were found to be unsafe for landing and required replacement. These
were structures that had been examined in the past but had unseen damage higher up.

With sound structures in place and the old static wire removed, the linemen made a second pass through all 95 structures
to install the new static wire, restore hardware, and tie the lines together.

And just like that, the flying linemen disappeared on the wings of the wind. When they will be back remains to be seen.

“We have other projects where it doesn’t make sense to bring in the helicopter, but if the opportunity arises and it fits a need as this one did, we’ve got another tool in our belt,” said Hoosier Energy Senior Project Manager Steven Jones.