Drone Show with 600 drones in the flight path of an Airport: How do you co-ordinate this?

NEDERLANDS VERSIE: Droneshow met 600 drones in de vliegroute van een luchthaven: Hoe coördineer je dat?

Recently I discovered 'The Bokkenrijders' (Goat Riders), a large-scale open-air musical which would take place in the football stadium of Maastricht would end with a spectacular 600 drone show.

The event was to take place over 20 nights in June. I quickly became curious as to what it takes to organise such a show and how would it be co-ordinated with Air Traffic Control. The Stadium lies 9 km south of Maastricht-Aachen Airport.

The organisers of the drone show is a company called Flyingstars who are based in Germany. We got in touch and asked what it takes to plan, co-ordinate and put on such a huge spectacle. We also spoke with LVNL at Maastricht Aachen Airport to tell us how they co-ordinate with the show's organisers.

FLYINGSTARS - Drone Show Operators

You have planned 20 shows with 600 drones for the Bokkenrijders event. Is this the largest assignment you have worked on?

So far, yes. We did a show with 600 drones as well for the teaser show last year in September for Bokkenrijders. This was the first time we flew with this amount of drones. Usually we have shows with around 100-300 drones.

Teaser Bokkenrijders Drone Show

How long does it take to design such a show? 

The enquiry came in at the start of last year, and since then it’s been a process of back-and-forth exchanges, so that the show has gradually taken shape.

The time for a show design always depends a little on the project and the client’s wishes. There were many aspects to take into account for Bokkenrijders. For example, music was composed specifically for the musical, and our designers adapted the colour and lighting effects to these auditory highlights. Director Servé Hermans was, of course, also able to provide us with further requests for changes during feedback sessions, to ensure that the production also fit in with the action on stage from a dramatic perspective.

It was a wonderful collaboration with Servé Hermans and the team, and we feel very fortunate to have been part of this unique spectacle.

600 drones to recharge each night. How long does that take? 

We have space to charge around 260 batteries at the same time. For each charging circle its around 3 hours, so in total it takes around 9 hours. We also always have some spare batteries.

ATC Co-ordination: What is the process for co-ordintation with the Tower and Approach at Maastricht-Aachen Airport each evening?

Each afternoon or early evening (so far - fingers crossed :)) we get a flight approval for our mission plan for the show of the evening.

Later in the evening our valued partner from HighScan (DroneSolution; https://www.highscan.nl/) who set up their radio equipment near the drone show area and ask for ATC clearance and communicate with us.

VHF radio allows drone team to receive clearance to start the drone show from Beek Tower.


VHF Antenna to be able to contact Beek Tower

We are also very thankful for the positive cooperation with LVNL and for all their efforts to accommodate the drone show.

Are you in constant contact with LVNL during the show?

Our partners from HighScan are in contact with them and if anything occurs we can let the drones come down again immediately.

Do you have any systems in place where you can also monitor air traffic in the vicinity?

As well as liaising with LVNL via HighScan, we also use apps such as Flightradar and air observers to monitor the airspace.

The weather has been quite a challenge in the opening three weeks of the event. How do you monitor that and what options do you have open to you?

Yes, the weather was a challenge and continues to be so. We check weather apps/different weather models constantly on show days. If the weather looks bad, we adjust our set-up and, for example, set up a bit later. Yesterday, for instance, a thunderstorm was due to hit us after the show (in the end, we were lucky that it took a while to arrive), but we put up tents so that we could quickly secure everything after the show.

Drone Team placing the 600 drones


Stack of drones

Some impressions from the show. Drone show photos courtesy of Caleb Godor

LVNL - Maastricht Aachen Airport

What is the process and methods used by the drone team to communicate with the tower and approach before launching the drone show?

Within LVNL, drone operations within controlled airspace receive special attention and, where appropriate, are treated as special events.

For drone operations taking place within a critical airport area, the request is assessed by the Operational Helpdesk (OHD) to determine any potential impact on other air traffic. Once all preparations and coordination have been completed, the OHD manages the operational coordination.

On the day of the operation, the tower is informed in advance about the planned drone activity. Before the operation starts, the drone pilot establishes radio contact with Air Traffic Control and requests clearance within the parameters agreed during the planning phase. Depending on the traffic situation at that moment, ATC provides the final clearance and may impose additional restrictions if necessary to ensure safe operations.


Control Tower Maastricht Aachen Airport © ATC Network

The show takes place very close to Maastricht Aachen's departure and arrival routes. Does this make it more difficult to co-ordinate?

It does not necessarily make the operation more difficult to coordinate, but it does require careful planning and assessment.

Because the drone show takes place close to arrival and departure routes, we need to thoroughly evaluate its impact on other air traffic and determine how the operation can be safely accomodated within the existing traffic flows.

Safety is always our highest priority. Air traffic controllers operate under strict separation standards, and any drone activity near flight paths must be integrated in a way that ensures those standards are maintained or that alternative safety measures are in place.

Has there been any issues with the show taking place and conflicting traffic so far?

No significant issues have been identified so far.

The purpose of the planning and coordination process is to identify and mitigate potential conflicts well before the operation takes place. For most drone operations, any interaction with other air traffic is addressed through advance coordination and operational procedures.

This particular operation requires additional attention because of the scale of the drone show and the large number of drones involved. If priority air traffic needs access to the area, the drone operation may need to be suspended. Because safely landing a large number of drones takes time, careful planning and coordination are essential.

Are you able to monitor height and whereabouts of the drones while the show is taking place?

We do not have a system that provides direct surveillance of the drones involved in the show. Air traffic controllers therefore do not monitor the drones in the same way they monitor conventional aircraft.

The operation is conducted within pre-agreed parameters, including the approved operating area and maximum altitude. Throughout the operation, the drone pilot remains in direct radio contact with Air Traffic Control, allowing any operational instructions or changes to be communicated immediately.

Apart from this very special and unusual drone activity how many other drone authorisations are you busy with on a daily/weekly basis?

The number varies by airport region, but LVNL is seeing a clear increase in drone activity across its controlled airspace.

Around Maastricht Aachen Airport, approximately 50 commercial drone operation requests are assessed and coordinated each month. This figure does not include drone operations by emergency services, which are handled through separate procedures.

The growth in drone activity reflects the increasing use of drones for inspections, surveying, media productions and other professional applications.