If you looked to the sky north of the Perry plant on March 20, you may have caught a glimpse of a drone flying along the shore. The drone belongs to the FirstEnergy drone team, and is being used to inspect a bluff east of the plant.

Randy Inman flies the drone over the shore of Lake Erie.

“The bluff has been eroding at an accelerated rate,” said Ashley Sullivan, Perry project manager. “The drone allows us to safely inspect and monitor the rate of erosion, which will help us determine when we may need to take any necessary action.”

John Anna, manager, Advanced Maintenance Practices (AMP); Randy Inman, supervisor PDM and Daily Scheduling; David Belski, senior generation specialist, AMP; and Matt Jackson, senior generation specialist PDM and Daily Scheduling, packed up several of their drones and equipment and headed to Perry to inspect the area. The drone took several flights above the Lake Erie shoreline, taking high definition photos and videos of the bluff.

“We’ve successfully used the drones across the company for multiple types of inspections,” said John. “I like to say the drone is tactical and practical. Because of their agility and size – about a two-foot wingspan – drones are able to fly relatively quickly into areas that typically would require a much greater amount of time and more money.”

Drone inspections of the Perry bluff will be conducted quarterly to monitor the rate of erosion.

This photo, taken by the drone’s camera, shows a bird’s eye view of the bluff. If you look closely, you also can see the team.