What were they actually doing?? I don't see what the guy could actually accomplish. He went over to the insulator but messing much with that would reduce the creepage distance a fatal amount.
I also wonder what the recovery procedure is if the guy falls off the line. He can't be lowered to the ground...
I also wonder what happens if the helicopter is hovering with its rotor above the lines so the guy can transfer and the guy accidentally slips and falls off the chopper. That would seriously jerk that small a chopper over on its side briefly.
In sailing you can often get really serious wind gusts occasionally that come out of nowhere. Might be what got those poor guys.
Well, let's see.
1. installation of spacers on bundle conductor lines to maintain proper spacing of the conductors.
2. Installation of vibration dampeners to stop "galloping" of the conductors under certain wind conditions.
3. Repair of damaged conductors (Yep, there are people who are damn dumb enough to stand under a transmission line and shoot at the conductors with centerfire rifles)
4. Close (very close) inspection of attachment points at the insulator string to make sure the hardware used to attach the conductor the "bells" is doing its job properly and not chafing or damaging the conductor.(A BIG deal after a hurricane or tornado)
Geez, I could go on for another 20 minutes or so if you'd like....
