Preston Ward is the Chief Pilot of Sky Parts Drones, the main supplier of drone mild exhibits across the U.S. His colleague, Rick Boss, just lately invited me behind-the-scenes of his firm’s Star Wars drone mild present on the Oakland Coliseum as a part of the group’s Star Wars Night time. I acquired to speak with each of them about what goes into the job — and the way they pull off such magnificent drone stunts.
There’s a large recap put up of the occasion right here, together with tons of images. I additionally put a video on my YouTube channel that includes a few of the behind-the-scenes highlights, which you’ll be able to watch right here:
And sure, you may learn the Q&A with Rick Boss right here, however not earlier than you first learn what Preston Ward has to say under. He’s acquired the good job on the planet:
Drone Woman: I’m right here with Preston. He’s the chief pilot for our present tonight. He’s going to inform us extra about what’s in his palms. What is that this?
Preston Ward: That is considered one of our mild present drones. It’s similar to some other drone you would possibly see, besides that it’s solely acquired a lightweight. It doesn’t have a digital camera. The opposite distinction is that it’s acquired a really subtle GPS.
DG: As a result of it needs to be far more correct than, simply, my regular digital camera drone.
PW: Completely. So this may get correct all the way down to 1 centimeter.
DG: How a lot does this factor weigh?
PW: This weighs about 2.5 lbs.
DG: So we’re standing in entrance of a stack of 500 drones proper now. Why are they on this stack?
PW: They’re stacked only for ease of transportation. That’s how we transfer them from place to position. After this, they’ll get specified by a grid format. That’s as a result of our first body within the animation for the present tonight is a grid. We’ll match that on the bottom to allow them to fly up into the grid.
DG: So this present has simply you because the chief pilot. However, there’s a reasonably strong crew right here, too. It’s not simply you. So what are all these different folks doing right here to assist workers the present?
PW: Lots of the crew is calibrating the drones. Each time we go to a brand new web site, the drone needs to be calibrated, so we undergo the calibration course of similar to you’d with any drone. Then, they lay out the grid and get it arrange. From there, they’ll simply wait till the present is completed to select all of them up on the finish of the night time.
DG: Your present tonight is 500 drones, however you’ve achieved others with 1,000. Is it harder to do a present with extra drones concerned as a result of it’s extra stuff to arrange? Or is it principally the identical with extra drones in a present?
PW: Extra drones merely means extra folks. Final week we had 1,000 drones so we had a crew of 30. For tonight’s present of 500 drones, we’ve a crew of 14. It took rather a lot longer to do the calibration for every a type of.
However really flying a present, whether or not it’s 100 or 1,000 drones, it’s really very comparable. We’ve made a variety of enhancements community to make it simply as environment friendly to do a present that large.
DG: Okay, so you may have just about the good job title being Chief Pilot. What’s a day in your life like?
PW: I do a pair issues, together with managing our entire pilot core. We’ve got 14 pilots who I’ve educated as much as run exhibits for us. I additionally do exhibits like this one, and I’m touring usually for them. As an illustration, I just lately began the day in Dallas, however then I flew out to LA, after which that night time went dwelling. I’ll be doing exhibits all around the nation, but it surely’s a variety of enjoyable. It’s been a wild experience.
DG: If you’re piloting the drone present tonight, what is going to you be doing?
PW: As soon as they’re all laid out, I’ll get them prepared for the present. Meaning setting their geofence, updating their areas, giving them their particular person flight paths after which on the lookout for any errors or deviations of their headings or something that would trigger a problem.
After that, I set the time to the drones. That’s the massive performance of the software program. It synchronizes all of the clocks, in order that they know precisely when that present is meant to begin.
After they’re flying their preprogrammed paths, there are not any sensors. They’re simply counting on their GPS and their time program.
DG: How are you feeling if you’re working because the Chief Pilot? Are you pressured? Is it enjoyable?
PW: Initially I used to get pressured, particularly for the primary couple of exhibits. I imply, you’re simply fascinated about the sheer greenback quantity with the drones within the air. 1,000 drones means $2.5 million within the sky directly.
However at this level, I’ve achieved so many of those. Something that would go flawed, I’ve seen go flawed, so at this level it doesn’t get to me anymore. I’ve realized find out how to overcome points, so at this level I simply have enjoyable and crack jokes with the crew.
DG: So what might presumably go flawed?
PW: The largest factor that would go flawed is that if they lose that sign from the delicate GPS. If that occurs, then they’re not counting on the exact GPS. They’re solely counting on a extra customary GS that you simply would possibly see in different drones. That interprets to the pictures that the viewers sees not being as exact.
DG: So the drones fly over this large car parking zone they usually simply keep right here, proper? They don’t really fly over the stadium?
PW: Right. They’re going to be over this large space that we’ve sectioned off and restricted, per FAA necessities.
DG: And talking of the FAA, we’re fairly near Oakland Worldwide Airport. Inform me, what went on to get approvals to fly in restricted airspace?
PW: We did need to get authorization to fly drones right here. Usually drones can’t fly right here in any respect. We’ve labored intently with the MLB and the FAA to even get drones authorized in any respect for exhibits like this, getting approval to make use of drones in put up recreation exercise.
DG: You’ve achieved so many drone exhibits. Which is your favourite?
PW: Mine was one we did a pair weeks in the past with 1,002 drones. It set a Guiness World Report, and integrated fireworks too.
And you may watch a digital model of that record-breaking drone present proper right here:
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