Flying the Friendly Skies … Safely

March 29, 2022

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – more commonly referred to as drones – have become increasingly popular among recreational users over the years. They are given as gifts, used for aerial photography and have even found their way into sports through the Drone Racing League. With the growing number of UAVs now hovering in the skies above our service territory, the Public Safety group is working with Communications & Branding to launch an advertising campaign alerting drone pilots about the dangers of flying their devices near energized electrical equipment.

According to FirstEnergy’s Don Bernier, captain, Flight Operations, novice drone pilots may not be aware of flight regulations that exist to protect operators and the general public. “While operating UAVs can be a fun activity when safety rules are followed, flying drones close to power lines, substations or other electrical equipment can cause serious damage and pose significant risk for injury,” said Don. “The company’s educational outreach campaign encourages pilots to operate their drones safely by steering clear of energized electrical equipment.”

The Drone Safety campaign features an array of social media ads across a variety of platforms. Since the campaign launched in January, the ads have recorded more than 3.2 million impressions on Facebook and Instagram, nearly 16.5 million impressions on Snapchat, and over 2.3 million impressions on YouTube. In addition, a bill insert was distributed to 6 million FirstEnergy customers in the fourth quarter of 2021 promoting drone safety.

Pre-flight Checklist

Operators should follow these guidelines to help ensure safety when flying a drone:

  • Stay at least 200 feet away from power lines or other electrical equipment.
  • Never try to retrieve your drone if it crashes near a power line or inside a substation.
  • Maintain a visual line of sight while your drone is in flight.
  • Follow the manufacturer’s guidance on equipment limitations.
  • Do not fly in dark, windy or wet weather conditions.
  • Do not fly your drone above 400 feet.
  • Register your drone with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
  • If you are a non-commercial pilot, be sure to complete The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST). UAS stands for unmanned aircraft systems.
  • Commercial drone pilots are required to be certified.

“Although the safety messaging is for everyone, our advertising campaign targets teenagers and their parents since they are the ones who may not be as familiar with safety guidelines and are more likely to fly drones around their neighborhood,” said Candy Webb, manager, Public Safety. “We’re also working with Communications and their ad agency to develop a cool drone safety video game that we think will resonate with younger residents in our service territory.”

In addition to alerting pilots to stay away from electrical equipment, the most important part of the Drone Safety campaign is to let operators know that if their drone veers off course and crashes near or into FirstEnergy equipment, they should never try to retrieve it themselves. “If a drone gets tangled up in one of our power lines or lands inside the fencing of a substation, all the operator has to do is call 888-LIGHTSS (888-544-4877) and we will retrieve it for them safely,” added Candy.

More tips on staying safe around electricity and near power lines and equipment are available on FirstEnergy’s Stop. Look. Live. safety website.