TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Intel Shooting Star drones entertained service members and their families with a drone light show over Travis Air Force Base, California, July 5 to celebrate Independence Day.
The show, which was pushed back from July 4 due to high winds, featured 500 drones affixed with LED lights capable of creating more than 4 billion color combinations in an eight minute production. During the performance, the drones were flown into multiple formations including the Travis 75th anniversary symbol, aircraft and the California bear.
“This was an amazing thing to experience,” said Airman 1st Class Joshua Arreaga, 60th Aerial Port Squadron air transportation journeyman, who saw the show with his wife, Jessica and son, Jonah.
“It’s outstanding and wonderful that Intel took the time to put this show on for us,” he added. “We typically see the fireworks in Suisun City, California, and this provided us an opportunity to see something unique.”
The show was awesome, added Jessica.
“The technology on display and colorful formations the drones were able to represent was impressive, so precise,” she said.
Travis partnered with Intel to foster patriotism and cultivate innovation amongst Airmen and the community surrounding Travis. The culmination of those efforts led to a performance that was the first of its kind on a U.S. military base.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to be the first to debut a drone light show on a US military installation,” said Natalie Cheung, Intel Drone Light Show general manager. “We wanted to showcase a new form of night time entertainment that could allow families and pets to enjoy our version of fireworks and experience something that wasn't available at Travis before.”
“We also wanted to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of Travis and the amazing work service personnel, both past and present, have committed to over the years,” she said.
Capt. Kaitlyn Bogan, 21st Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III pilot and a member of the 60th Air Mobility Wing’s commander’s action group, was part of the team that planned for two months to host the drones at Travis.
“I’m incredibly honored to have had a role in bringing the show to Travis, but I’m more proud of the team that came together to make this show a reality in a very short amount of time,” said Bogan.
“I hope that, above all, people loved the experience and were in awe of the show like I was the first time I saw it,” she added. “I want Travis Airmen and the community to feel proud of the fact that this was the first drone show on a Department of Defense installation. Travis is continuing to blaze trails in the world of innovation and this show was one way to demonstrate that fact in a beautiful, remarkable way.”
The drone team arrived at Travis June 26 to prepare for the performance. During their time at Travis, the team conducted numerous rehearsals and provided a demonstration for families who are enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program June 28.
The company’s drones have performed in more than 300 shows in 15 countries including the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.