Walt Disney Co has taken forward its plan to use drones for entertainment purposes at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California.
The company has applied to the Federal Aviation Administration for an exemption to fly drones emitting LED lights which it calls ‘Flixels’ for aerial shows and fireworks displays.
A near 50-page application to the FAA asks to use up to 50 drones at a time.
Drones would fly pre-programmed flights at least 100 feet away from guest-viewing areas.
The application said the UAVs would be ‘deployed from a monitored platform designated as the launch/land area in restricted access areas of each resort. Flixels will be magically incorporated into Disney story elements that engage and inspire children and their families. Once the show segment concludes, Flixels will return to the launching/landing area.’
Flight time for each aerial performance would be restricted to about 10 minutes and would only take off if weather conditions are favourable with constant wind speeds of no more than 10 mph.
"It will not interrupt national airspace activity because the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts airspaces are registered no-fly zones," Disney said in the petition.
