Ocala officials are reconsidering a $300,000 contract for drone shows on the Fourth of July after the company in charge of the shows was partially stripped of its FAA license following an event in Orlando where drones fell from the sky and critically injured a child.
On Tuesday, Ocala City Manager Peter Lee briefly touched on the city’s ongoing relationship with Sky Elements, LLC, the company that was contracted last month to conduct drone shows at the city’s next two Fourth of July celebrations.
During his comments, Lee made reference to recent news surrounding Sky Elements, LLC. Although he did not cite specifics, Lee was most likely referring to a drone show that took place in Orlando in the days leading up to Christmas.
During that show, drones that were being operated by Sky Elements, LLC, fell from the sky and crashed to the ground. One of those drones struck a 7-year-old child, who was critically injured as a result.
In the days after the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration suspended a waiver that it had granted to Sky Elements, LLC, to operate drones higher than 400 feet above ground level (when not within a 400-foot radius of a structure).
“Everyone knows what’s been going on with the Sky Elements – the company that we have for the drone show. We will bring you a recommendation next time,” said Lee during the meeting.
Lee indicated that the city has not paid any of the $300,000 that it owes the company.
“We have not paid the company at this point, so, we’ll bring back a recommendation and I’ve talked to each of you about that. I’ll talk to you again before – within the week,” said Lee.
The decision to approve the drone show in mid-December came two months after the vote was originally delayed so that the city could seek funding support from the county. Although the city asked the county to commit $75,000 to the event, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners indicated that it would only request $20,000.
In the six months since the Patriotic Skies drone show at Fourth of July first took place, Ocala-News.com has received over a dozen letters and hundreds of comments from residents seeking to express their opinions on the matter.
In conversations with Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano, the business owner said the city would only need to spend around $30,000 on fireworks to create a show of similar length.
The cost of the inaugural drone show at the Patriotic Skies Fourth of July Celebration, which took place on July 4, 2024, was approximately $71,415.
Ocala-News.com provided an exclusive live stream of the drone show, which was attended by an estimated 12,000 people.
Although the original show was criticized heavily for its length (around 10 minutes), the new contract called for an increase in the number of drones from 300 to 600, and the use of “different drones with extended battery life to ensure a show duration of no less than 15 minutes but not exceeding 18 minutes.”
Now, city officials will look to possibly end a 2-year contract just a few weeks after voting 4-1 to approve the measure. Councilmember Jim Hilty was the lone dissenter at the time.
Do you think the city should look for a fireworks alternative, or should they find another company that can produce a drone show? Share your opinions in a comment or a letter to the editor.
