Strange Helicopters Flying Over Your House?

Don't Be Alarmed  - It's Just Met-ed

Press Release from 1st Energy

Vegetation Management will be conducting Vegetation Management Aerial LiDAR Data Acquisition Patrols on Transmission Lines across the entire FirstEnergy Transmission system. 

Vegetation Management Aerial LiDAR Patrols gather information pertaining to corridor condition and identify any vegetation conditions warranting further inspection from the ground and or corrective action. 

Please be advised that the company performing the Aerial LiDAR Patrols is GeoDigital Inc. These Aerial LiDAR Acquisition Patrols will be on transmission lines beginning the week ofJuly 1, 2020,and ending the week of September 11, 2020, weather permitting. 

The scope of this project will require the use of two aircraft to accomplish the flights within the timeframe provided. The initial plan of flights is that one helicopter will start their flights on the West Penn Power and Potomac Edison systems and the other on the East side of the FE Territory roughly a week to two weeks later. 

The pilots will be in communication with any local airports, when in their airspace. The aircraft will be flying at a speed of about 35-40 mph at approximately 300-400 feet above the transmission lines and may circle around as needed.  

Aircraft 1 will start flights on the Southwest side of the FE Territory and is a Bell 206L Long Ranger with tail number N461RA. 

Aircraft 2 will start flights on the East side of the FE Territory and is a Bell 206B3 Jet Ranger with tail number N15FH. 


As always, poor weather and emergency patrols/repairs elsewhere may cause re-scheduling and/or delays.  

Gary Mason  
Met-Ed, A FirstEnergy Company 

Customer Service: 800-545-7741 
Outage Reporting: 888-544-4877