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Fireworks 2023 🎆

Could be fireworks related. Another thought is it could it be some sort of survey using drones for a future development? But I think it’s more likely to be fireworks or maybe marketing related as mentioned above.
 
Connor98 said:
Could be fireworks related. Another thought is it could it be some sort of survey using drones for a future development? But I think it’s more likely to be fireworks or maybe marketing related as mentioned above.
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I thought of a survey but they surely don't need a swarm of 200 for that?!
 
Steve74 said:
I thought of a survey but they surely don't need a swarm of 200 for that?!
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I couldn’t say for sure, I only really know about them using drones for surveys now due to a friend working in the industry. But I agree 200 sounds rather a lot for just a survey now you mention it. Also I’m sure they didn’t do any testing last year for the fireworks drone show so it’s quite confusing as to what this actually is for.
 
Connor98 said:
I couldn’t say for sure, I only really know about them using drones for surveys now due to a friend working in the industry. But I agree 200 sounds rather a lot for just a survey now you mention it. Also I’m sure they didn’t do any testing last year for the fireworks drone show so it’s quite confusing as to what this actually is for.
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Or no-one found the notice before the testing last year? Or it was tested off-site only?
 
jon81uk said:
Or no-one found the notice before the testing last year? Or it was tested off-site only?
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When you search for active NOTAMs for "swarm" there are boatloads of the things up and down the country every week comprising up to like 500 drones so people probably just not noticed before, or not cared to go to the plane spotter sites that chart all this boring stuff.
 
I've moved the above posts into a dedicated Fireworks topic for this year. I may sound as though I'm jumping the gun, but it was around this time last year that initial tests were carried out at Alton Towers for last year's Fireworks. I don't think many were looking at NOTAMs back in June/July last year, but Electric Aviation/Airshows did a test show at Alton Towers presumably as a proof of concept to gain the contract.

The below video featured on their website until it was redesigned recently which was filmed end of June/July:

View attachment ElectricAirShow1.mp4

Good to see 200 drones potentially in use this year, as opposed to the 100 used last year. The drones were one of the things that got people talking the most last year and certainly got a huge crowd reaction, so bigger and better for 2023 sounds good to me 😀
 
Craig said:
I've moved the above posts into a dedicated Fireworks topic for this year. I may sound as though I'm jumping the gun, but it was around this time last year that initial tests were carried out at Alton Towers for last year's Fireworks. I don't think many were looking at NOTAMs back in June/July last year, but Electric Aviation/Airshows did a test show at Alton Towers presumably as a proof of concept to gain the contract.

The below video featured on their website until it was redesigned recently:

View attachment ElectricAirShow1.mp4

Good to see 200 drones potentially in use this year, as opposed to the 100 used last year. The drones were one of the things that got people talking the most last year and certainly got a huge crowd reaction, so bigger and better for 2023 sounds good to me 😀
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That looks fantastic! If the drones are back and there are more of them - while that is a good thing - I just hope their inclusion in the show doesn't reduce the fireworks offering. Last year's fireworks were definitely reduced in quantity and size - could've been down to budget cuts but probably because drones were included as well.

Let's hope Merlin has appreciated how popular they drones were last year and increased the budget accordingly!
 
Steve74 said:
could've been down to budget cuts but probably because drones were included as well.

Let's hope Merlin has appreciated how popular they drones were last year and increased the budget accordingly!
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These drone shows are incredibly expensive, so I was quite surprised last year when I heard Towers were doing one as part of the Fireworks.
 
Drones are better than fireworks in my opinion - I wouldn’t be too bothered if the firework part of a display was curtailed to allow more time/effort/money to be spent on the drone section.
 
I quite like a hybrid of drones and fireworks but with a bias very much on the fireworks, personally.
 
Rick said:
I quite like a hybrid of drones and fireworks but with a bias very much on the fireworks, personally.
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With you on that one Rick! I mean the fireworks at Towers are for 2 reasons in my mind - end of season and Bonfire night - which is all based on the gunpowder plot so the clue is in that story really as to why we use fireworks!

Drones are a great addition to any show (the ones at the coronation concert were incredible) but they shouldn't outright replace the fireworks. Both are good in their own way and should compliment each other, not replace.
 
Possibly the drones could be used to create a Phalanx announcement and maybe for late night openings to create a bigger atmosphere.
 
Would anyone be able to advise ( I know this was the case for 2022 ) if Fridays do tend to be the quietest of the 3days for fireworks?
 
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