How San Diego's drone shows come to life
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Stingray made of drones takes flight. GIF: Courtesy of Drone Studios
More drones are lighting up the night sky this July Fourth and throughout the summer across San Diego, from SeaWorld to La Jolla to Oceanside.
- We're taking a closer look at how these synchronized substitutes for traditional fireworks shows are designed and flown.
Why it matters: Drone shows have been taking off over the last few years at local venues as event organizers face pressure to scale back fireworks and replace explosives with drones due to wildfire, water pollution and wildlife concerns.
Fireworks are flashy, stimulating and celebratory, and drone productions are, too, telling stories with "3D-animation in the sky," Jeff Stein, founder of San Diego-based Drone Studios, told Axios.
- "It's like giant holograms," he said.
- Stein's company has produced the annual July Fourth La Jolla Sky Show since it transitioned to drones four years ago.
July Fourth is a particularly "high-pressure show," and pulling it off takes more preparation than any other event during the year, he said.
How it works: Designing the show starts three or four months before the event.
- The company builds a storyboard with the client, then the animation team produces a video simulation of the full show.
- The team runs simulations through software to make sure it works and that the drone's height, speed and positioning are within safety parameters.
Drone Studios hosts a training camp for the pilots a week before the event, with refresher courses and rehearsals at their 18-acre property in Jamul.
- They also calibrate and run maintenance on their 10-inch quadcopter drone fleet.
On the big day, the operators lay out the drones in a grid based on how the show is programmed.
- They do a final maintenance check before the launch and swap out any drones that show errors.
- There's no manual control of the drone fleet. The operators upload the programmed flight path to each drone with GPS-specific positioning, color schemes and brightness levels.
- And when it's showtime, they hit the launch button.
After that, 500 drones take off from La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club courts, running their course and then flying back to home base and landing in their boxes.
- Meanwhile, operators watch for errors popping up in the software, and they can press a button to bring back a faulty drone.
- If an error occurs or a drone fails to take off, spare drones can fill in those gaps.
- The show runs 15 minutes because of battery capacity, Stein said.
Zoom in: This year, the La Jolla Sky Show drones will make a grand entrance by creating an animated eagle flying across the sky to center stage over the water in La Jolla Cove.
- The aerial display is choreographed to music and will feature marine life and patriotic visuals highlighting America's 250th anniversary.
- Lining up the soundtrack across speaker systems at the beach, golf course and on the YouTube livestream is one of bigger challenges, project manager Jim McInerney told Axios.
You can watch the spectacle around La Jolla Shores Beach and Kellogg Park, the bluffs above the sea caves, private homes with an ocean view, Mt. Soledad and some spots in Del Mar.
- Some locals watch from the water in kayaks and paddle boards.
Follow the money: Drone Studios charges about $150-$200 per drone, plus designer or graphic artist fees, so the cost depends on size and complexity. The Fourth of July also comes at a premium.
- La Jolla Sky Show organizers raise money to pay for the show's $60,000 price tag, McInerney said.
The big picture: Nationwide, cities are ditching pyrotechnics, companies are embracing skyvertising and major events like the World Cup have drones entertaining fans.
- The Padres, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, SeaWorld, Rady Shell, USS Midway, SDSU football and local music festivals have also tapped into drone entertainment
While some might question whether drone shows are as exciting as fireworks, SeaWorld San Diego park president Tyler Carter says people are fascinated by the technology, and drones create a uniquely immersive experience.
