How to choose a drone show company: what to check before signing

When two or three proposals come in for the same event, they look remarkably alike. Each has a stunning video, a drone count and a price. What sets them apart is not in those three things but in what sits behind them: who actually flies, with which fleet, with what paperwork, and what happens if something does not go to plan on the night.

This guide is for whoever has to choose a drone show company and then answer for that choice: an events officer at a city council, an agency building the show into a wider event, or a brand’s marketing team. It is not a list of what each supplier promises. It is a list of things you can check yourself, by asking for a document or putting a specific question, before you sign.

None of these checks is meant to rule anyone out in advance. They are there so that every proposal is measured with the same yardstick, which is the only thing that lets you defend the decision when someone asks why you went with that one and not another.

1. Who the operator is, and whether it is who sells to you

The company that signs the quote is not always the company that flies. Booking through an agency, a production company or a council’s regular fireworks contractor is common practice and works well. What matters is knowing from the first meeting which company is the operator, because that is the one answerable for everything aeronautical.

Three questions clear it up:

• Which company is the operator? Its legal name, not the brand name of the show.
• What is its operator registration number? In the EU, drone operators register with the aviation authority of the country where they are based and are given a number. Asking for it is not distrust: any operator has it to hand.
• Who will apply for the authorisation for your event? It should be the same operator that flies, with enough time for the site and date you have in mind.

Which documents have to exist, and why a show over an audience needs its own file, is set out in drone show permits in Spain. The point here is different: that you can see whose name is on each document.

2. Whether the fleet is owned or hired

Both models exist and neither is bad in itself. But they change two things that affect you directly: availability on your date and who answers for the condition of the drones.

The good nights are the same for everyone: summer festivals, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, big brand dates. If the fleet depends on a third party, it is worth knowing whether it is booked for your night or will be confirmed later on, and whether it is being shared across several events that same weekend.

Useful questions:

• How many drones do you have available for that date, and how many are held in reserve?
• Who maintains the fleet and checks it before each flight?
• If a drone fails the pre-flight check, what replaces it that same night?

Our own answer is short: we are a Spanish company that designs, assembles and builds its own drones, and the team that flies them is ours. We do not hire in a fleet and we do not subcontract the flight. We mention it because it is the question we recommend you ask everyone, us included.

3. Insurance: the policy, not the word

Every proposal will say it is insured; in Spain, for example, third-party liability insurance is compulsory for drone operations. The real difference is whether the policy covers what will be flown at your event. Ask for the certificate and look at four things:

• The policyholder. It should be the company named as operator, not an intermediary.
• The dates. In force on the day of the show, not just today.
• The scope. That it covers this kind of operation: many aircraft in formation, at night, with an audience.
• The sum insured. In line with the scale of the show. If your organisation sets a minimum for event suppliers, compare it against that.

And one step that tends to get forgotten: tell whoever handles the event’s own insurance, in case their policy needs to know there will be drones over the audience.

4. Experience you can verify

A beautiful video proves little. It can be edited, trimmed, and sometimes it is not even from the company showing it. What does prove experience is a case with a name, a date and a place that you can check on your own: a local news story, that year’s festival programme, or a call to the organiser who booked it.

Ask for references similar to your event, not the flashiest ones:

• The same kind of site. A town centre, a beach, a fairground or a stadium each raise different problems.
• A similar scale. Having flown a huge show says little about how someone handles an intimate one, and the other way round.
• Someone to ask. If the previous client is willing to tell you how the night went, that conversation is worth more than any video.

A verifiable reference, using our own: we were the first to fly 1,000 drones simultaneously in Spain, at La Latina park in Madrid on 2 May, for the Community of Madrid’s regional day. It has a date, a place and a public organiser you can ask. Behind it are more than 500 shows in more than 15 countries, but for your decision one case you can check weighs more than a running total.

5. Who flies, and who is there on the night

A show is flown by a team, not one person, and it helps to know that team before the night. A few questions are enough:

• Is the flight crew employed by the company or brought in for the occasion?
• What training does the pilot in command hold? A show over an audience is not flown on a hobbyist’s basic certificate; the detail is in the permits article.
• Who makes the go/no-go call on the night, and who is your single point of contact during set-up?

That last one matters more than it seems. On event day lots of people are asking things at once, and having one specific name and phone number heads off half the misunderstandings.

6. Plan B, as proof of know-how

What the contract should say if the show cannot fly is covered in who decides and what gets signed. The question here is another one: whether the supplier has the plan B worked out in advance or makes it up when you ask. You can tell straight away.

A prepared supplier answers these three without hesitating:

• In what wind or rain conditions do you not fly, and when is that decided?
• If it is called off, is there a window the same night, an alternative date, or what gets invoiced?
• If a drone stays on the ground after the pre-flight check, does the show go ahead unchanged?

Specific answers in writing are a good sign. «That rarely happens» is a cue to push a little further.

7. What you get besides the flight

Two proposals with the same number of drones can deliver very different things. Before comparing prices, line up what each one includes:

• Design. How many figures are bespoke and how many come from a catalogue, and how many revision rounds are included.
• Preview. Whether you will see the show simulated before opening night, so you can sign it off in time.
• Music. Who chooses it, who synchronises it and who takes care of the rights.
• Filming. Whether a professional video of the show is included or extra. It is what people miss most the next day, when they want to show it.

With that in hand, prices can finally be compared. What drives them is explained in how much a drone show costs.

The checklist to take to the meeting

1. The operator’s legal name and registration number.
2. Who applies for the authorisation, and on what timescale for your date.
3. Owned or hired fleet, and reserve drones for that night.
4. Insurance certificate: policyholder, dates, scope and sum insured.
5. Two references similar to your event, with date, place and a contact.
6. Who makes up the flight crew and what training the pilot in command holds.
7. Who decides whether to fly, and who your contact is on the night.
8. Plan B in writing: conditions, alternative window and what gets invoiced.
9. What is included: design, revisions, preview, music and filming.

Frequently asked questions

How many proposals should I ask for?

Two or three, all with the same starting information: exact location, approximate date and what you want to say. If each supplier works from different data, the proposals cannot be compared.

What should make me think twice about a proposal?

Promising any figure without asking about the site, not saying who flies, or dodging the insurance question. None of the three proves anything on its own, but all three deserve a second conversation.

Can I book it through my fireworks company or my agency?

Yes, it is very common, and it often makes sense because a drone show can be combined with fireworks on the same night. Just make sure the checklist above is answered by the operator who will fly, even if someone else is running the conversation.

What if the cheapest option ticks every box?

Then it is a good option. The checklist is not there to make you pay more; it is there so you know what you are comparing. A cheaper proposal that answers all nine points well is better news than an expensive one that does not.