MisterBill2 you're a braver man than I!...No shock when I touch a single wire. Yes, I need to be careful, but no, touching any one wire gives no shock. But I only do it in dry weather. The big thing is to be well insulated from ground.
Here's a thought: If I'm floating in air, next to a high voltage transmission line and I grasp the line in my hand, would the potential at my feet (solely due to the field) be different enough from the potential at my hand such that current will flow? This differs from MisterBill2's situation only in the higher voltage of the HV transmission line.
As I understand, the helicopter technician is wearing something akin to a chain-mail suit to ensure that his body doesn't see differences in potential from head to toe. I don't know about the pilot.