Some high school students in Arkansas are learning how to fly unmanned aerial vehicles, better known as drones. For Entergy employees and departments already using drone technology, it’s good news that a generation of potential future employees in the state have an interest in this growing aspect of utility industry work.

That’s why Entergy had a presence this spring at Drone Wars, a public event held at Hot Springs World Class High School and led by members from the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC). At the event, students and professional drone pilots showed some of the amazing things that drones can do in the hands of skilled operators.

Trey Bassett, a journeyman serviceman for Entergy Arkansas, attended the event. He talked with high school students about drone technology and how it may provide future career opportunities with the company. And Bassett speaks from experience, since he flies drones at work all the time.

Bassett, who joined Entergy in 2006, became a drone pilot in 2023 by taking online aviation classes and attending classes at Henderson State University. He then worked through the Entergy Aviation department to become certified and began using drones in his job.

“Drones are a great tool for Entergy that is helping to make us better,” he said. “When there’s storm damage in remote areas, we’re now able to use drones to locate and assess the damage rather than send several people to walk through the woods for hours. It can make a real difference in reducing outage times for our customers.”

Bassett and other members of the Entergy Arkansas R&R team – the R&R stands for reliability and resiliency – use drones to look at things you can’t see from the ground, such as the top of cross arms. In some cases, using drones to inspect lines that are working normally can lead to proactive maintenance that will prevent future outages.

“It’s great to find problems before they have a chance to cause the lights to go out,” Bassett said. “Flying a drone is also just a fun part of my job.”

Lt. Commander James Smith, NJROTC program leader at Hot Springs World Class High School, says the drone program is part of an effort to introduce more science, technology, engineering and math education at the school. He discovered his passion for drones while using them to gather intel as a Navy Intelligence Officer.

“Our goal is to give students the chance to learn about drones, take classes, and even get their license if they choose and pursue a career in the field.”

Drone Wars, the first statewide event of its kind, was attended by students from around Arkansas. The event featured a variety of events, including drone soccer, a drone obstacle course, lap races and other competitions. The goal of the event is to increase interest in the field and continue to compete annually with more schools joining each year.

To learn more about our career opportunities through our Entergy Aviation department, visit our careers website.