AERIAL SPECTACULARS
DroneSwarm display at the Royal Military Academy
there are also strict rules and regulations in place. Permission from the Civil Aviation Authority( CAA) is required for anyone operating drones, light shows, or fireworks, as the displays can distract or endanger aircraft. DroneSwarm’ s Lawrence says the CAA’ s rules are some of the strictest in the world.
Cuttoly describes Celestial’ s drone show permit and audit process:“ We ' ve got a really good relationship with the CAA, and the Federal Aviation Administration in the US, so we have to ensure we obtain all the necessary permits and waivers for every show and that we have regular audits to ensure that we ' re compliant.”
With regulations varying significantly from country to country, it means places with less stringent oversight are more susceptible to accidents than regions such as the UK. Rees notes that differing regulations“ affect everything” from the location of launch and landing zones to overflight rules.
He uses the Middle East as an example.“ Because the rules differ so much, especially in places like the Gulf states, we carry out a regulatory assessment at the start of every project,” he says.“ That gives us a clear picture of what’ s allowed and what procedures we need to follow.”
A question of sustainability
Research increasingly highlights the environmental impact of fireworks, which can leave behind debris containing heavy metals and release large amounts of CO₂. As the demand for sustainable events grows, organisers and suppliers are seeking ways to create memorable moments while minimising environmental harm. Drone shows rely on electric batteries and LED lighting. They are quiet and because they do not produce debris they are far less disruptive to wildlife and air quality than fireworks.
Rees says,“ There is going to need to be further investigation into how much more sustainable and environmentally friendly a drone show is because they use LiPo batteries.”
Lawrence says the sustainability advantages of drone shows over firework displays are negligible and that for DroneSwarm the integration of drones with its firework displays is for the added visual spectacle rather than for sustainability reasons.
Drone shows are certainly a more sustainable alternative than pyro but with the sector still relatively new, more research is needed to establish whether it is truly a sustainable alternative.
Flights for the future
With state-of-the-art technology providing an exhilarating and everevolving alternative to traditional pyro shows, the projected growth of the drone display sector is understandable. Even so, Cuttoly predicts there won’ t be a total replacement of fireworks, but rather an increasing integration between the two.
“ One of our recent shows was with Alexandra Palace,” she says.“ We did the Fireworks Festival, which is now called the Fireworks & Drone Festival because of our partnership.”
This perspective is shared by Lawrence, who says drones will, and do, complement fireworks rather than displace them entirely, and adds that fireworks remain a cheaper alternative to drones.
Rees say that as the market evolves, he expects the continued rise of dronedriven light shows to be tied to their use to enhance an existing live event rather than being stand-alone displays:“ The future of drone displays in their own right will need to evolve. A drone show as the show itself is a very expensive offering. They need to be part of a holistic experience.”
Lawrence provides a similar view, suggesting that the use of drone shows to complement an existing event is not only more sustainable but also safer from a planning perspective; in that if an event is struck by bad weather not all forms of entertainment will have to be cancelled.
Cuttoly says organisers of live events of all types are beginning to embrace drone technology, with concert promoters and performers in particular showing strong interest:“ We’ re seeing a trend with musicians wanting drones as part of their live music performance.”
Whether used as standalone attractions or to complement existing live shows, drone displays are now firmly part of the live entertainment ecosystem. With rapid technological innovation and a growing appetite for visually striking aerial spectacles, drone and light shows are well on their way to becoming a ubiquitous element of modern live entertainment experiences.
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