For a few years now, Sky Elements has captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences worldwide with their mesmerizing drone shows. Yet the company got a serious boost when they not only made it onto Season 19 of America’s Got Talent — but they made it all the way to the finals. And in fact, the America’s Got Talent finals air live tonight (that’s Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024) on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
As they continue to impress on America’s Got Talent (AGT), here’s a deeper dive into the company, its team — and how you might book them for your own, custom drone light show:
Sky Elements: everything to know about the AGT Golden Buzzer contender
Rise to fame via America’s Got Talent
Sky Elements’ journey on Season 19 of America’s Got Talent has been marked by extraordinary achievements, including receiving the coveted Golden Buzzer from renowned judge Simon Cowell during their audition, which aired as part of episode 2 of ATG Season 2. This prestigious recognition — the second instance of judge Simon Cowell hitting the Golden Buzzer, solidified their status as a frontrunner and a favorite among viewers.
Not only did that Golden Buzzer send them directly to a spot on the live shows, but it changed the AGT rules forever. Because of Cowell’s second Golden Buzzer, that led to a first-ever rule change that allowed for more Golden Buzzers throughout the season.
From there, they put on a circus-themed show for the Sky Elements’ Quarterfinal performance. And once again, Simon Cowell was impressed, as both he and judge Howie Mandel gave Sky Elements standing ovations. (For what it’s worth, Simon Cowell has a thing for drone shows, as he also gave another drone light show company, Verge Aero, the Golden Buzzer on AGT: Extreme.)
Sky Elements brought audiences to tears during a heart-wrenching performance set to the song “Butterfly”, which was by another AGT finalist, Lily Meola during the Semi-Finals. That show was dedicated to the infant daughter of Sky Elements Chief Pilot Preston Ward. Named Briley Rose, she tragically passed away in 2020. Watch that performance below:
With that, public votes elected to send Sky Elements to the final round. That airs tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 17 on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
The Sky Elements team
When you watch a Sky Elements show as a spectator, you likely won’t see any people. But people are still what make the show possible. Led by Rick Boss, the Sky Elements team is robust. Its key members include:
- Brian Geck: With experience in motion graphics and 3D-design Brian is one of the creative minds in executive the top-tier animations seen in the Sky Elements drone shows. He gets much credit for the lifelike, detailed execution of the drone’s movement.
- Preston Ward: As Chief Pilot, Preston leads Sky Elements in its business development, training, communication and operations. Not only is Preston a FAA Part 107 licensed pilot, but he is also a licensed attorney in the state of Texas.
- Rick Boss: With a background in startups, Rick handles all things product management and sales at Sky Elements.
- Tyler Johnson: Tyler is the team’s drone technology engineer, and he is a FAA Part 107 licensed drone pilot. He’s tasked with handling the logistical elements required to perform shows around the country.
A history of Sky Elements
As shared through America’s Got Talent, Sky Elements was founded in late 2020. Chief Pilot Preston Ward had just seen his first in-person drone show, which was shortly after his infant daughter Briley Rose (the inspiration behind one of the AGT performances) passed away. Alongside founder Rick Boss, Sky Elements was created.
The team continues to grow, with Sky Elements hiring pilots and animators. Ultimately the company got so big, that Boss (Boss worked at a private business insurance and employee benefits company) and Ward left their day jobs to focus on Sky Elements full time. And growing it is.
Boss was quoted in a summer 2024 USA article saying that Sky Elements business grew by 60% year-over-year. July serves as especially big business for Sky Elements (and, well, most drone show companies) as towns and other organizations seek drones as an alternative to fireworks for their Fourth of July shows. In fact, Sky Elements flew about three dozen drone shows around the nation on 2024’s July Fourth alone. The year prior, Sky Elements nabbed a Guinness World Record for producing the most drone shows in a single weekend, which was July Fourth 2023.
Prominent shows in the Sky Elements portfolio include a drone show for Serena Williams’ gender reveal party. It’s put on themed shows, like both Pixar and Nickelodeon-themed shows. It also won the SPH Engineering International Drone Show Competition.
How Sky Elements drone shows work
Even though there are hundreds of drones in the sky, a single pilot controls them all. That pilot uses software on a central computer system to program the drones to follow specific flight paths and exhibit various colors and patterns with their onboard LED lights.
UVify: the drones behind the shows
Sky Elements doesn’t make their own drones outright. Instead, they use drones made by UVify. UVify makes a range of autonomous aircraft including the $200 UVify OOri Smart Racing Micro Drone. Though increasingly popular is its IFO and IFO-S drone light show drones.
Do Sky Elements drones replace fireworks?
Kind of. Clearly drones can convey far more intricate stories than what a firework can do. You might see fireworks make hearts or happy faces, but — if the Sky Elements shows are any indication — drone shows can paint the skies with intricate figures.
Many have suggested the environmental benefit of drones versus fireworks, which can pose not only a fire risk, but also contribute to air, water and soil pollution as they release smoke and particulates into the atmosphere.
With Sky Elements, though, it doesn’t have to be an either/or. Part of the Sky Elements team actually has a pyrotechnics background. In fact, Sky Elements is the first company to have received FAA approval to fly pyro drones in the U.S. Yes, certain, specially-designed light show drones are actually able to carry and launch fireworks off of them.
How much does a Sky Elements drone show cost?
While specific pricing information for Sky Elements’ drone shows varies depending on the scale and complexity of the performance, the cost of a drone light show from Sky Elements starts at $15,000. Of course, that’s the minimum, and Sky Elements recommends a minimum of 50 drones to make it work.
Larger, more intricate performances unsurprisingly cost more. And yes, Sky Elements is no stranger to shows with more than 1,000 drones. Sky Elements put 2,400 drones on the field of Petco Park in San Diego as part of a “Deadpool and Wolverine” themed show for San Diego Comic Con. That show broke the Guinness World Record for the “Largest aerial display of a fictional character formed by multirotors/drones” twice in a single show. That broke the previous record held by Disney, which happened only a couple months prior to celebrate Bastille Day and put 1,571 drones in the sky in the shape of Mickey Mouse.
The first formation featuring Deadpool used 1,599 drones. Then, Sky Elements broke its own record, putting 1,607 drones in the sky to form Wolverine. Watch that show below:
Factors that can influence the cost of a Sky Elements drone show include:
- Duration of the performance
- Number of drones used
- Complexity of the choreography
- Location and logistical requirements
Across all U.S. drone show companies, the average drone show costs $52,455, according to the “Drone Show Market Analysis,” which was made in June 2024 in collaboration with SPH Engineering and market research group Duamentes Global Alliance. That report used data from 1,000 drone shows across 62 countries. Of course, that’s a tricky number as it varies widely based on all those aforementioned conditions.
In general, you should budget about $233 per drone, per show in the U.S., according to SPH Engineering’s drone show cost estimates. So, expect a 1,000-drone show to cost more than $200,000. A $15,000 show does really only entail about 50 drones.
But if $15,000 for even of the tiniest of drone shows feels excessive, here’s good news: While inflation has made the cost of pretty much everything else go up, drone show prices are actually dropping. In fact, this time last year, the starting price for a Sky Elements show was $20,000.
“As technology advances and drone light shows become more popular, we can expect prices to decrease, making them more accessible to a broader range of event organizers,” according to a statement from Sky Elements.
Booking a Sky Elements show
Assuming you’re ready to pony up the cash, how do you book your own drone show? Sky Elements services the entire U.S., with fleets spread around the country. To book, you can simply contact them for a complimentary consultation. There, a Sky Elements team member will discuss location, design, and price with you.
Drone show limitations
As long as the Federal Aviation Administration and other local laws allow it, Sky Elements can put on a drone show pretty much anywhere. That’s assuming you can meet the criteria set by Sky Elements for a safe show, such as that there is a safe distance between the audience and the drones. There are also some legal restrictions around where drones can fly, such as in certain restricted airspace or in areas like National Parks.
But even those restrictions can sometimes be skirted through waivers. For example, you can’t outright fly drones in Class B or C airspace (which is often the airspace around airports). Get LAANC authorization, though, and you can. That’s how Sky Elements is able to run shows like their show at the Oakland Coliseum, which is in Class C airspace given its proximity to Oakland International Airport. One of Chief Pilot Preston Ward’s responsibilities is overseeing such requests. That’s an example of a place where his legal background comes in handy.
Weather also comes into play. Drones absolutely won’t fly in heavy rain. Less severe weather, like moderate to high winds can be left up to the pilot on site. Typically though, shows won’t go on in sustained winds of 20mph or more, or gusts of 30mph or more.
Planning a drone show
Assuming your location isn’t subject to limitations, Sky Elements can help you plan a custom show. Designers work on 3D renderings to capture the animation you envision, and to deliver the emotion you want to convey.
Shows typically don’t run longer than 10 minutes (that’s limited by battery flight times). Though, Sky Elements can run multiple shows in one evening, promising to run them as close to about 30 minutes apart.
What’s next for Sky Elements after AGT?
As Sky Elements continues to impress on America’s Got Talent, their journey serves as a testament to the power of innovation, creativity, and hard work. Whether or not they win ATG Season 19, they are poised to become one of the most sought-after drone show companies in the world. In fact, they’re already the largest drone show company in the U.S.
And hey, AGT grants winners $1 million. But given that Sky Elements has clients including MLB, the Houston Rodeo, Dave & Buster’s, Virgin Voyages, USC and Coca-Cola to its name, it might not see as much of an impact from $1 million in its bank account as some of the other AGT contenders.
But what is clear: interest in drone shows is massively up. Sky Elements can expect to land a lot more clients after this. I wouldn’t mind them performing at my own wedding!
It’s also likely Sky Elements will inspire a new generation of drone light show companies. And in fact, you can start up your own drone show companies. There are a few ways to go about that, including using the Drone Dojo light show kit, which you can unlock with a Blue Belt Membership. There’s also the Drone Blocks light show drone kit, which costs about $7,500. Check out the Drone Blocks drone show kit review.
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