Drone Light Shows This Fourth Of July?...Maybe...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | We suspect that drone fireworks will make their grand entrance here for today's annual Fourth of July celebration, although we do not know for sure. Nothing in the local press, so...

But elsewhere in the totally-ready-to-celebrate country will get the newfangled, non-exploding light shows courtesy of more-excitable and less-noisy aerial drones.

This from Yahoo News: [ As Americans gather to celebrate the Fourth of July, hot and dry conditions across much of the country are prompting fears that fireworks could spark wildfires - and some cities are even opting to replace traditional displays with drone light shows.

Among them: Boulder, Colo., Flagstaff, Ariz., and Salt Lake City.

"As temperatures rise and fire danger increases, we must be conscientious of both our air quality and the potential for wildfires," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said last week.

"The shift from traditional fireworks to a laser light show was the responsible action to take due to extreme fire risk with the dry and hot conditions," Flagstaff City Manager Greg Clifton said in a press release. "It is extremely important to have a safe celebration and be fire aware. And it is also important to have a yearly celebration that we can all anticipate and plan on." ]

The new technology will alter the exploding soundtrack, although cities using drones plan to also incorporate sound systems (large amplifiers) to accompany the aerial Art.

Will drones make it to the Rio Grande Valley this year?

We hope so.

The technology is there and is really not a complicated production.

Not that fireworks will totally depart the scene. Most citizens love those and, we say, it will take years for drones to run them off the stage completely. The tradition many grew up with, after all, is all about seeing exploding lights in the darkened night sky.

Drone on, America...

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