A promise was made last week, and a record was broken July 3 in North Richland Hills.
Owners of Sky Elements Drone Shows promised weeks in advance to break a world record during a community Independence Day celebration, and they now have the Guinness World Record proclamation to prove it.
Witnesses were in the thousands, but the one that mattered most was Michael Empric, the friendly man wearing the official suit of the Guinness World Records. He, along with North Texans who arrived by the carloads, watched as Sky Elements Drone Shows set a new world record for the largest aerial sentence formed by drones. It was all part of the North Tarrant Family 4th Fireworks and Drone Show.
The award-grabbing sentence? “Happy 4th of July 2023” spelled out with drones flying over Birdville ISD Plaza in North Richland Hills. With 796 drones used to display the greeting, the old record of 673 was surpassed.
“It was just so fun to bring something so large and break a record in NRH and bring it to the community,” said Rick Boss, Sky Elements’ owner who was clearly still floating on air after Monday’s record-breaking aeronautic feat.
Guinness World Record
Well in advance of the July 3 show, Boss and co-owner Preston Ward promised to set a record. According to Boss, they never worried about failing. Even as the all-important Guinness World Record adjudicator went about his pre-performance tasks of counting drones and photographing for documentation, the pair remained confident.
“We went in knowing we had this,” Boss told daltxrealestate.com on Wednesdsay.
The record-breaking sky sentence served as the finale of a 10-minute drone show that paid tribute to U.S. history. With multi-colored LED lights, the vast audience was treated to a series of displays depicting the original 13-star American flag, George Washington crossing the Delaware River, a locomotive with turning wheels, three synchronized jets, an eagle carrying a flag, and an American astronaut planting a flag on the moon.
The drones flew 400 feet in the air, higher than fireworks that were shot off below the drone show. The combo of drones and fireworks was promised all along, but drone shows are clearly what Sky Elements is banking on. Upcoming gigs include drone shows under Seattle’s space needle for major league baseball’s All Star game and celebrating The Bahamas’ 50th anniversary of independence.
Celebrating In Style
Boss and Ward have transitioned their careers from pyrotechnics to exclusively creating drone shows at Sky Elements.
Even so, they still retain a love of fireworks. The two celebrated their newly-claimed record not with champagne, not with ice cream, and not with a high five.
“We actually celebrated with fireworks, if you can believe it,” Boss said “We love fireworks. I love drones more, but I love drones and fireworks together.”
