The Federal Aviation Administration has granted Walt Disney Parks & Resorts permission for “Night small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operations” and “Operations of multiple small unmanned aircraft systems within Special Security Notice Flight Restriction Areas and Class G airspace.”

This FAA Part 107 Waiver allows Disney to fly multiple unmanned drones at night over Disney parks in the U.S.  Specifically, 14 CFR § 107.29, Daylight operation, is waived to allow sUAS operations during night, and 14 CFR § 107.35 Operation of multiple sUAS, is waived to allow a person to act as the remote Pilot in Command (PIC) or visual observer (VO) in the operation of more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time.

We first reported that Disney was seeking FAA permission to use this new technology back in January. Disney had conducted limited testing of its entertainment drone technology, dubbed “Flixels,” in preparation for incorporating these aerial vehicles into new nighttime spectaculars.  As part of the waiver application, Disney submitted example flight paths at Epcot and Disneyland, and noted that these flight paths are not over guest-accessible areas for safety purposes.

Flixels are to accompany entertainment at the Walt Disney World® and Disneyland® Resorts, including during each resort’s nightly Fireworks Spectaculars. 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.

The Flixels’ fleet consists of four, six, or eight propeller multicopters. Flixels operate within assigned subnetworks for communication to the ground and each other, where each subnetwork comprises five multicopters. Each Flixels weighs less than ten pounds. Each multicopter includes a special effects element (e.g., LED lighting), battery, and wireless signal receiver/radio. Flixels will flyslower than six knots groundspeed during a short (e.g., five minute) airborne segment. All Flixels flights are restricted to an airspace no more than 600 feet in diameter and Flixels’ maximum flight level will be no higher than 150 feet AGL.

Disney is also developing a related technology, drones with projectors and screens. In August, Disney was granted US Patent 9,405,181 for these drones with attached projectors and screens.

Jason Diffendal