AEP Drone Pilot Visits HN Drone Teams

Left to Right-Advisor Brian Reeves, Justin Thiel, Ryan Coon

The Hardin Northern drone teams were visited by Lima native and professional drone pilot Ryan Coon in class this past Friday.

He is the drone pilot for American Electric Power based in Columbus. 

Coon was there to generate interest in the art of investigative drone flying and to recruit talented pilots. 

Drone pilots for AEP inspect hundreds of miles of power lines for damage, redesign out of date circuits, provide communication to linemen in remote areas and sometimes provide a light source for linemen in locations where traditional spotlights won’t work. 

He travels all over AEP’s service area in Ohio and helps in other states like Kentucky. 

Currently, there’s a huge shortage of qualified UAS pilots.