Preston Ward is the Chief Pilot of Sky Components 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 staff’s Star Wars Evening. I bought 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 submit of the occasion right here, together with tons of pictures. I additionally put a video on my YouTube channel that includes among the behind-the-scenes highlights, which you’ll 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 bought the best 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 fingers. What is that this?
Preston Ward: That is one in all our mild present drones. It’s similar to some other drone you may see, besides that it’s solely bought a light-weight. It doesn’t have a digicam. The opposite distinction is that it’s bought a really refined GPS.
DG: As a result of it needs to be far more correct than, simply, my regular digicam drone.
PW: Completely. So this can get correct right 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 individuals doing right here to assist workers the present?
PW: A variety 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’ll 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 evening.
DG: Your present tonight is 500 drones, however you’ve achieved others with 1,000. Is it more durable 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 individuals. Final week we had 1,000 drones so we had a crew of 30. For tonight’s present of 500 drones, we now have a crew of 14. It took rather a lot longer to do the calibration for every a type of.
However truly flying a present, whether or not it’s 100 or 1,000 drones, it’s truly very comparable. We’ve made lots of enhancements community to make it simply as environment friendly to do a present that huge.
DG: Okay, so you’ve got just about the best job title being Chief Pilot. What’s a day in your life like?
PW: I do a pair issues, together with managing our complete pilot core. Now we have 14 pilots who I’ve educated as much as run exhibits for us. I additionally do exhibits like this one, and I’m touring typically for them. For example, I just lately began the day in Dallas, however then I flew out to LA, after which that evening went dwelling. I’ll be doing exhibits everywhere in the nation, but it surely’s lots of enjoyable. It’s been a wild journey.
DG: While you’re piloting the drone present tonight, what’s 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 in search of 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 careworn? Is it enjoyable?
PW: Initially I used to get careworn, particularly for the primary couple of exhibits. I imply, you’re simply eager about the sheer greenback quantity with the drones within the air. 1,000 drones means $2.5 million within the sky without delay.
However at this level, I’ve achieved so many of those. Something that would go unsuitable, I’ve seen go unsuitable, so at this level it doesn’t get to me anymore. I’ve discovered tips on how to overcome points, so at this level I simply have enjoyable and crack jokes with the crew.
DG: So what may probably go unsuitable?
PW: The most important factor that would go unsuitable is that if they lose that sign from the subtle GPS. If that occurs, then they’re not counting on the exact GPS. They’re solely counting on a extra commonplace GS that you just may 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 and so they simply keep right here, proper? They don’t truly fly over the stadium?
PW: Appropriate. They’re going to be over this huge space that we now have 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 submit 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 File, and included fireworks too.
And you’ll watch a digital model of that record-breaking drone present proper right here:
