Major surprise planned during Irving's "Sparks & Stripes" drone show
IRVING – If you're headed to tonight's Fourth of July Sparks and Stripes event in Irving, prepare for a special treat that even some city officials are unaware of.
"Hundreds of hours have been spent designing and animating this show for tonight, so it's going to be quite the sight to see," said Preston Ward, chief pilot of Sky Elements Drone Shows.
Preston Ward, also known as "The Drone Show Guy" on Instagram with 1 million followers and recent appearances on national television, is well-versed in drone shows. About two years ago, he decided to take it to the next level by reaching out to the FAA to obtain a pyrotechnic drone show license.
In simpler terms, he's now licensed to put fireworks on drones.
"When we want to do something, we make it happen. Getting the approval for pyrotechnics on the drones was a 25-month process," Ward said.
As the first company to receive this approval, Ward decided to debut the show tonight in Irving.
"This is the first time we are doing it publicly; we've done private testing. I can't wait to see the reaction. The city is trying to keep it quiet, so hopefully, people will just be blown away and surprised," Ward said.
The team practiced on Monday with 525 drones set to light up the sky tonight, 30 of which will feature sparkling fireworks to create a one-of-a-kind drone show experience.
"They are going to have a waterfall on them, so it will be a gold sparkle hanging down. Just like normal, no one is going to know anything different until the pyrotechnic goes off," Ward said.
For Ward, this is just the beginning. His company, based in DFW, has grown exponentially over the past few years and now operates about 60% of all drone shows in the United States.
So even if you miss tonight's spectacle, chances are you'll see a show from him soon.
The drone show will start a little after 9 p.m. and will last 11 minutes. The city of Irving advises arriving early to secure parking.