A new way to light up the sky
Drone shows are providing a safer, quieter and cleaner alternative to traditional fireworks celebrations.
A giant eyeball appears in the sky. Pac-Man eats a cherry, and the iconic Hollywood sign flashes over palm trees.
Those were just a few of the spectacles produced by 150 drones at a May 31 light show above Assembly Athletics Complex field at Metropolitan State University of Denver in celebration of the Denver Nuggets reaching the NBA Finals.
Shows like this represent a growing trend that favors drone technology over traditional fireworks celebrations, especially in places such as the southwestern U.S. and Canada, where drought and the threat of wildfire are common. Globally, the drone-light-show market is predicted to grow annually at a rate of 5.7%, whereas the fireworks market is predicted to grow 3.8% annually.
What are some of the reasons behind the increased popularity? Compared with fireworks, drone shows are safer, eliminating the risk of accidental injury or explosion, more environmentally friendly and highly customizable, said Richard Thurau, Ph.D., affiliate faculty member in MSU Denver’s Aviation and Aerospace Science Department.
“The most powerful element of drones is in their ability to precisely control the location of each aircraft,” Thurau said. “Drone patterns can be programmed to connect to our stories, experiences and lives. The Nuggets show is a prime example. The best that fireworks could do would be to coordinate colors of blue and gold.”
Jonah O’Keefe, a drone-light-show producer and MSU Denver alumnus, designs the shows for Denver-based Hire UAV Pro. The Fourth of July is by far Hire UAV Pro’s busiest season. After two upcoming shows in Castle Rock, he’ll travel to perform shows in Chicago, Miami and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
“A lot of what we’re seeing right now is a shift from traditional fireworks into drone shows,” O’Keefe said.
Last year, when it was 10 to 15 degrees hotter and much drier, Hire UAV Pro-produced drone shows helped to prevent the spread of accidental fires caused by fireworks, said CEO and founder Graham Hill. This year, more towns are opting for drones for other reasons.
“A lot of the community doesn’t want fireworks because of PTSD, (fearful) dogs, all that extra noise, so they’ve said no,” Hill said. “And we’re there to support the holiday without that.”
The technology has improved considerably since Hire UAV Pro started out in 2018, Hill added. The original drones were three times the size of the current ones and required a much larger staff to pilot. Even so, battery life is still a challenge, with drones staying airborne only about 15 minutes. Hill hopes a new type of drone will come along soon that can fly longer.
In the meantime, the company continues to grow. Hire UAV Pro operates 600 drones and hopes to get up to 1,000 to help meet the demand for larger shows.
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The latest addition to Hire UAV Pro is MSU Denver alumnus Billy McDermott, who majored in video production through the University’s Individualized Degree Program. He joined the team for a summer internship.
“We’re pushing the design a lot further,” Hill said. “… So now, people are saying, ‘OK, that’s not just an alternative to fireworks; it’s a whole different type of creative medium. It’s almost like a performance in the sky.’”
Behind the scenes of those performances, the initial process involves creating a storyboard and placing it in a timeline, using special software that calculates the flight path of each drone and generates a 3D rendering. Flight instructions are sent to the drones via radio signals from a ground control station operated by a pilot.
Launched in 2019, MSU Denver’s Unmanned Aviation Systems certificate program helps students develop the flight skills needed for drone performances. Aviation students can learn about the aircraft and gain additional skills that may lead to a primary or secondary form of income as drone pilots, Thurau said.
For O’Keefe, who started out in sales and transitioned to Hire UAV Pro after learning 3D modeling, the most rewarding aspect of the work comes from the audience.
“Getting to see people’s reactions is always my favorite part,” he said. “I always try to go over to where the crowd is and watch and see their perspective. For a lot of people, it’s their first time seeing a drone show, so it’s super-rewarding seeing their faces light up for something I had a part in.”
