Helicopter Survey

What are helicopter inspections? 

Throughout the year Transpower carries out various inspections on our overhead transmission lines to ensure they’re in good condition to continue supplying safe and secure electricity to Kiwis all across Aotearoa.

One of the ways we carry out these visual inspections is by using helicopters, with our service providers and teams either in the helicopter observing, or suspended underneath the helicopter in a protective harness to get even closer to the lines for inspection or maintenance. 

Why do we do helicopter inspections? 

These helicopter fly-overs are a vital part of inspecting and maintaining our thousands of kilometres of transmission lines that span all of New Zealand. 

Getting a regular close-up look at our lines means we can look after them better – keeping them free of issues and seeing where maintenance might be needed. 

Additionally, it is sometimes necessary to send helicopters up for inspection after extreme weather events. 

Things we consider when carrying out inspections include: 

• Bird nests
• Slips near our structures or access tracks
• Fallen trees near or on the lines
• Conductor or structure damage
• Broken insulators. 

Proactively carrying out this work makes it less likely that there will be faults or problems on our lines that could lead to unplanned power outages in the future.  

How we carry out helicopter inspections 

Where in the country line inspections occur is determined by which lines are due for a visual inspection or require maintenance. 

When a line is selected for a flyover, the helicopter will fly along that line (for example, a line from Taupō to Hamilton) for a day or more. Helicopters fly at different heights depending on the type of inspection required. The height can range anywhere from 50 – 300 metres and the higher the helicopter is flying the less likely it is to be noticeable. 

When a helicopter is flying lower to the ground, you will be more likely to see and hear it as it moves along the line.  A lower flight path may also take longer to travel the line, potentially pausing at tower locations or mid-line as part of the inspection. 

For this planned work, we will provide at least a week’s notice on our Facebook page (Transpower) when there is an upcoming helicopter flyover anywhere in the country.

For faults on our network, we are often unable to provide prior notification in some instances.

More information

Not all contact information for all inspections are the same. The contact person differs depending on where in New Zealand they’re happening and which of our service providers are carrying out the work.

If you’d like more information on a specific helicopter inspection, we have contact information on the helicopter ads we post on our Facebook page. 

Laser surveys

Through November and December 2025, we have helicopters equipped with laser technology flying the length of New Zealand to survey our transmission network. The laser surveys (known as LiDAR) capture millions of data points which come together to show a highly precise 3D view of the surveyed area and assets. We're carrying out this work so that we can have accurate digital information models, as well as highlighting areas where vegetation is too close (or risks becoming too close) to our assets and poses a fire risk. 

You might notice these helicopters carrying out this work near your area. You can see when and where they're flying below:

Contact

For further information with respect to the flights and operations near your property call Dean Scott on 021 657 394