Rick Boss is the chief of Sky Components Drones, the main supplier of drone mild exhibits across the U.S. He not too long ago invited me behind-the-scenes of his firm’s Star Wars drone mild present on the Oakland Coliseum as a part of the crew’s Star Wars Evening.
I’ve acquired a large recap of the occasion right here, together with tons of images, which you’ll be able to learn and consider right here. There’s additionally a video on my YouTube channel that includes a few of the highlights, proper under:
However whereas that video has a number of snippets of our Q&A, it doesn’t embrace all of it. Thus, I’ve determined to share our full Q&A in textual content kind. In our behind-the-scenes interview, he shares how they handle to journey with all these drones, what the setup entails and extra. So with out additional adieu, right here’s that interview with Rick Boss!
Drone Woman: What are we behind us?
Rick Boss: Tonight we’re 500 drones for a present that’s going to be Star Wars themed. What’s happening proper now’s the crew is establishing all of the drones, calibrating the drones, and ensuring we’re able to go for tonight.
DG: And there’s truly a reasonably decently sized crew. How many individuals do you may have placing on this entire endeavor?
RB: Usually for a present the dimensions we’ve about 15 to 18 folks to get all of the drones arrange, however only one individual flying the present.
DG: So these of us have been doing quite a lot of work calibrating the drones. Inform me, what all goes into the setup forward of time?
RB: Numerous the work, effectively, a lot of the work, occurs beforehand. So our artistic crew has spent most likely a few hundred and fifty hours of programming only for this present. A lot work goes on forward of the present, and tonight it’s simply establishing the drones to verify the whole lot works effectively as we speak.
DG: So far as programming, what are we going to see?
RB: You’re going to see quite a lot of Star Wars.
DG: Do you suppose we’ll see Child Yoda?
RB: There’s a great likelihood that Grogu is up there.
DG: Sure! Superb! And so that you do a bunch of those exhibits. Simply earlier than this you had been on the Dodger’s Sport. I hear you additionally did the Serena Williams child gender reveal present.
RB: We did. We did the Serena Williams child gender. We additionally did the Dodger’s present, which was 1,000 drones. For context, we’re doing 500 tonight. We now have one other Star Wars present developing for FC Dallas with 1,000 drones.
DG: Oh my gosh, so that you’re busy! What number of exhibits are you doing every month or every week?
RB: We fly 5-6 exhibits each week, all around the nation. So sure, we’re fairly busy. From Key West to Seattle, Washington to the Caribbean in addition to Hawaii. We’re in every single place.
DG: So do you may have a truck? How do you get drones to all these locations?
RB: So proper behind me is a truck trailer there. The trailer is the most typical manner we transport our drones. The first motive for that’s due to all these lithium batteries. It’s in any other case only a ache to fly twitch them all around the nation.
DG: Flying with drones — and maybe extra critically, flying with LiPo batteries — is difficult, so I’m not stunned to listen to you say that.
RB: It’s particularly robust when your exhibits are large.
DG: So on that word, how does the dimensions of this present evaluate to most drone mild exhibits?
RB: It is a medium-to-large present. Our common drone is about 300 drones. With 500 drones, that’s a pleasant sized present.
DG: How do I get my very own private drone mild present, like what Serena acquired?
RB: *Laughs* You may name us, or go to our web site at SkyElementsDrones.com, hit the request button and we’ll get you a quote.
DG: And I most likely must win the lottery to get some cash to try this?
RB: The price of a drone present is pricey nonetheless. It’s greater than fireworks, that’s for positive. That stated, the costs are all the time getting higher. I imply, the value proper now’s half what it was a 12 months and a half in the past.
DG: It’s turning into extra reasonably priced, and it’s additionally extra environmentally pleasant — which I do like that side as effectively.
RB: Little doubt about it. Significantly in some states the place there’s fireplace hazard, that may be a nice profit. There’s the truth that these are low noise. We’re not impacting the neighbors, we’re not impacting the pets, and it’s definitely we’re leaving no particles behind.
DG: And, we get much more customized, precise designs. I’m personally excited to see Child Grogu tonight.
And identical to that, you possibly can watch their timelapsed model of the present proper right here:
You met Rick Boss, however one of many different geniuses powering Sky Components is Preston Ward, who serves as the corporate’s chief pilot. Come again to The Drone Woman subsequent week to learn an identical Q&A, however with Preston!
