Drone light show expert calls for stronger safety protocols

Ahead of the Australian Aviation Summit 2024, Nova Sky Stories’ head of flight operations in Australia, Sue Osborn, argued that organisations must invest in technology and deliver drone light shows safely.

Osborn will participate in a panel session at the Summit about Australia’s drone revolution, the technological advancements in drone light displays, and the exciting future of the sector.

She also argued that drones should have return-to-home protocols built in for all emergency scenarios rather than just radio communication failure, particularly if the show is being carried out over the water.

She specifically referred to the technical glitch that saw as many as 440 drones fall into the Yarra River in Melbourne in 2023 during a pre-game light display to celebrate the Matildas’ soccer match against France at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium.

The incident raised concerns that several hundred lithium polymer batteries were polluting the river and endangering marine life.

Osborn said that if organisations are presenting a drone light display show over water, the operator must implement measures to retrieve them.

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“It would be beneficial that operators mitigate risk against the protocols of their software,” she told Australian Aviation.

“Ideally, have the protocols return the drones to the launch location and not descend in place in the water. If they are to descend in place, the operator needs to have controls in place to catch or recover the drones.

“I also feel that all light show drones that are doing operations over water should float. I would say that the drones coming from cheaper suppliers can weigh nearly one kilogram each, and as such, it is quite difficult to try to make them float.”

Osborn said she believes that implementing these measures would mitigate some of the environmental impacts of lithium polymer batteries, adding that it is unacceptable to place marine life at risk.

On top of this, she urged organisations to be diligent about conducting site surveys to ensure that their technology allows them to deliver their shows safely.

“I think it’s very important that the people who are running drone light shows not only meet CASA regulations but also environmental regulations,” Osborn underscored.

Organisations that invest in robust technology could also have the upper hand in delivering a safe show compared to those that use substandard systems, she added.

“Not all technology is the same. It’s not all assessed at the same robustness, and it’s not as reliable,” Osborn said.

“Like anything, you get what you pay for. If organisations want to do a drone light show, I think they need to investigate the technology available to them and understand its risks and reliability.

“Unfortunately, that incident at the Yarra River has proved that in Australia, the technology is not the greatest. For hundreds of drones to fall into the water is a catastrophic failure. If that’s been put down to operator error, that’s a hard lesson to learn.”

Osborn is optimistic about the future of drone light displays, noting that they could increasingly involve a combination of pyrotechnics and drones (which are already in use).

She suggested that Australia shift its mindset by moving away from conventional light shows and exploring new techniques.

Osborn concluded: “A lot of people find fireworks to be the be-all and end-all.

“Fireworks are not being done too differently now. On the other hand, a drone light show can tell stories in greater detail and touch an audience.”

To hear more from Sue Osborn about the future of drone light displays in Australia, come along to the Australian Aviation Summit 2024.

It will be held on Thursday, 29 August at The Star, Sydney.

Click here to book your tickets, and don’t miss out!

For more information, including agenda and speakers, click here.

This summit is produced by Captivate Events. If you need help planning your next event, email director Jim Hall at [email protected]