MADISON – It was quite the spectacle above Camp Randall Stadium last Saturday.
A giant image of Bucky Badger floating hundreds of feet in the air. Bucky was part of a 12-minute drone show during halftime of the UW/OSU game. As fans ooo’d and ahh’d, the Sky Elements team was busy working behind the scenes on a flawless performance.
“It’s like looking into the Matrix,” said pilot KC Sealock. “We’re watching readouts, checking for vibrations, battery levels, GPS locations, etc. We ensure all the drones know where they’re supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there and what colors they’re supposed to be.”
Sky Elements is a large operation. It’s not just a couple of drone pilots, according to Sealock.
“There are animators, logistics, (customer reps), operations crews,” he said.
Drone shows are gaining in popularity, as more venues deal with fireworks restrictions.
“There may be fire bans or restrictions,” Sealock said. “There’s also the noise pollution, for animals or folks with PTSD.”
