When they do ‘hands on’ they are still piloted, bad enough they got a guy in contact with them and worse use tools that hold on the wire. That creates another rotation point for the helo.
They often use helicopters for live line work now, especially in hard-to-get places like the mountainous regions, where they can’t get trucks and equipment into the area easily. It’s pretty cool in a way, but very precise work. The lineman has to use a cable to “latch on” to the individual phase conductor and become as one with it, so to speak. Can’t touch or even get close to a tower (grounded) or another conductor because he’ll be fried instantly.
They’re very cognizant of weather and wind conditions when they do that type of line work, obviously. Fortunately, transmission line towers and steel poles are relatively low maintenance, outside of storms or the errant, unhappy hunter that takes his frustrations out on the insulators when Bambi doesn’t show up.