From a fellow PPRUNE'r
Here is some excellent adivce I received from an industry pro:
"Best advice I can give is to carry on with what you are doing, ask the guys who are currently working with you and learn as much as possible out of the cockpit."
"I used to fly for a utility company and most of our work was slinging personnel onto the lines for maintenance and then supporting them, but patrol was also a large part of the job."
"From that point of view:
1. Always be aware of the wind, it will bite you.
I presume you are flying to the right of the line so that you can see it on your left and that you have a linesman/inspector behind you. In that case, if you have a quartering tailwind from the right you will be most critical and if its strong enough, dont hesitate to say so and cancel the patrol. Other option is to fly farther along the line and fly back on the other side so that you now have a headwind. I have had nightmare experiences in those conditions when slowing down to just above transition and being blown towards the line and running out of pedal at the same time. It snowballs and just gets worse if you dont catch it quickly. We did different types of patrol, from high speed at 70 to 90 knots, medium at 40 to 60, slow at 30 to 40 and audit from the hover to 20 knots. Audit obviously the most demanding and wind critical, especially when crossing the line and turning over the tower trying to keep the tower in a constant position for the linesman. Be very aware of the amount of pedal you have left.
2. If you are tired, stop for a rest. If necessary, have a nap for ten minutes. Your boss and your crew would rather you do that than fly into the lines with damage to the machine, or worse. We used to be limited to 8 hours a day of inspection for a good reason, its very demanding and if you do it for a few consecutive days you get very fatigued. A friend of mine fell asleep at the controls, next to the line and while flying between two towers. It was only for a second or two but gave him a huge fright and he stopped flying for the day. Point is, dont let it get that far.
3. Plan your fuel carefully. I dont know what system you use and in what areas you operate but I used to work in very remote areas and we had to have a fuel truck with us. Had to plan how far ahead to tell him to wait and that could result in a lot of stress if you underestimate the amount of fuel you need. Have a personal contingency amount that you add to the official reserve. As you get more experience you can reduce that amount to what you are comfortable with.
DO NOT take off if you are uncomfortable about anything, it distracts you and reduces your effectiveness.
4. Listen to your instincts too. Be careful of listening to advice from the linesman flying with you, they have an enormous amount of good advice but they are not pilots and may not be aware of the same considerations that you are. You are ultimately responsible for everything, don't forget that. It may call for some diplomacy from your part. If they do give you good advice, thank them. If you are still unsure, ask the more senior guys when you get back to confirm your opinions.
5. In all aspects of the job, keep the machine as light as possible to have a reasonable power margin and to give you the best chance in the event of an engine failure. Keep the blades clean for the same reason."
Excellent advice for all.