St. Louis Power Lines Serviced Using Helicopter Assisted Crews

By Mark Nankivil 

Power lines in St. Louis and St. Louis County are again being serviced by helicopter-borne crews.  They are working along the route of the high power lines that run through Midtown and into St. Louis County, working the towers along I-44 just west of River Des Peres.  Though I have only caught one helicopter here, there are two in the area working adjacent towers at the same time.  The services are provided by Winco Powerline Services of Aurora, OR, specializing in challenging powerline construction and servicing projects using MD-500 (Hughes 369F series) utility helicopters.  Here is an up-close look at how aviation is critical to maintaining the infrastructure we often take for granted: