Don’t mind the drones … they’re just here checking the ‘power lines’ 

If you hear a buzzing in your ear in the next few days, it may not be a mosquito or a bee … it could very well be a drone. And while drones to make many people uneasy, these drones are from Florida Power & Light, working to find place in our power lines where potential problems could occur.

According to FPL, all drone operators are licensed and flying their equipment with specific knowledge of FAA privacy standards and general regulations. Drone assessments collect close-up images of the equipment on each pole from various angles. Drones can also collect thermal images and assess vegetation encroachment.

FPL representatives say they use drones prior to severe weather to perform maintenance inspections to identify areas of concern before an outage can occur. Following severe weather events, drones help FPL assess damage so they can restore power safely and as quickly as possible.

Drone operators are supposed to employ several techniques to identify that they are working for FPL, including magnetic placards on their cars, safety vests or signs. The drones resemble a small helicopter with four rotors and are about the size of a basketball.

If you have more questions you can call FPL at (800) 226-3545.