Drone on: Evolving light show technology making its third appearance at the Balloon Fiesta

Drone shows, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to paint stories on night-dark skies, are still new in the world of entertainment spectacles, but they are evolving.

“Four years ago, a majority of people did not even know what they were,” said Nils Thorjussen, CEO of Verge Aero, the company, founded in 2016, that is a pioneer in drone show entertainment. “We are out of the baby-crawling stage. We are in the toddler stage. But we still have a long way too. We are developing the industry.”

Drone on: Evolving light show technology making its third appearance at the Balloon Fiesta

Verge Aero’s drone light shows at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta are one measure of the progress made by the company and the technology.

This is the third year Verge Aero has presented drone light shows at the fiesta. The first year, the company put 350 drones in the air. Last year, it employed 500 drones. There’ll be 500 drones again this year, but Thorjussen said the company is presenting two different shows.

“The evening show will be different than the one in the morning,” he said. “There will be some new technology in the evening performances, some new effects I would like to leave as a surprise.”

Fiesta morning drone light shows are scheduled for 5:45 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, Sunday, Oct. 6, Saturday, Oct. 12, and Sunday, Oct. 13.

Evening drone shows are set for 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, Sunday, Oct. 6, Thursday, Oct. 10, Friday, Oct. 11, and Saturday, Oct. 12.

Verge Aero started out in Philadelphia, but moved to Austin, Texas, two years ago. Thorjussen said the company’s employees tired of testing drones “in the frozen tundra of Philadelphia winters” and suggested a warmer location might work better.

He said the company does not do a lot of drone shows.

“We are primarily a technology company,” he said. “We have developed all the technology necessary to do these shows. We continue to do some shows because they are fun, because we want to support early customers such as the Balloon Fiesta, and because we are trying to develop the industry. One day, drone shows will be everywhere.”

Thorjussen said four or five of the Verge Aero team will be at the fiesta to work with the team of volunteers that make it possible to produce the drone light shows at a lower cost. He said he will be at the fiesta the first weekend.

“I just find the mass ascensions to be mind-blowing,” he said. “I can just watch them for hours.”

Thorjussen said Verge Aero creates a brand-new show for the Balloon Fiesta each year.

“We try to make content that is unique and appropriate for the Balloon Fiesta, and we try to change it every year so people don’t get bored,” he said.

An image created by drones that has been particularly popular among balloon fiesta crowds is that of red and green chile.

“People loved that,” he said. “Personally, I like making (images of) balloons with drones. Some have been really beautiful. The first year, we were able to sketch out what the Albuquerque Box (wind patterns unique to the city) is all about.”

There will be lots of new images in this year’s two drone light shows, Thorjussen said.

The design process for the drone shows is collaborative.

“We have a meeting with the (fiesta) organizers, and we brainstorm a bit,” Thorjussen said. “They come back with what they would like to see, and we create a storyboard. And then we program the drones and create a previsualization (video) and make sure all the stakeholders will be happy with the final result.”

He said this year’s fiesta shows are ready to go now, even though it is possible to tweak them if necessary.

Weather is about the only thing that can disrupt drone shows once they are programmed.

“Even if rain is not a factor, high winds can be a problem, although our drones can withstand quite a bit of wind,” Thorjussen said. “But according to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) rules, we can’t fly if visibility is less than three miles. And visibility is usually less than three miles if it is raining.”

Barring bad weather, things are good to go. Thorjussen said a company team member designated as the pilot is responsible for making sure the drones do what they are supposed to do in a safe manner.

“The pilot is in charge of a fleet of 500 drones, but there’s not much to do once the show is programmed,” he said. “The pilot presses one button to execute go, and everything happens after that. Pilots can execute corrective action if necessary, but usually they just sit there and watch the show with everyone else.”