UPDATE: City of SeaTac offers follow up on fireworks and failed drone show
City will not help fund fireworks show next year; Drone operator will refund$40,000
UPDATE: City of SeaTac offers follow up on fireworks and failed drone show
The Fourth of July Fireworks show sponsored by the Angle Lake Shore Club was a success but the accompanying drone show had serious technical problems and resulted in the loss of 55 of the drones.
Photo by Patrick Robinson
Fri, 07/12/2024
UPDATE July 12
The Angle Lake Shore Club (ALSC), responsible for the fireworks and drone show that took place on the Fourth of July met with the City of SeaTac and were told the city will not help fund the show next year. The show itself is not inexpensive at $32,000 but the failed drone show that was to feature 200 drones from the Great Lakes Drone company cost some $40,000. That company has offered to repay the the sponsors.
As for the 55 drones that went into the lake, 48 have been recovered from the murky bottom of the lake.
The ALSC shared their message to the community seeking participation from the public:
For many years, we've enjoyed a dazzling display of fireworks on the 4th of July, a cherished tradition that brings our community together. Unfortunately, this year, our private-public partnership with the city has ended.
To ensure this tradition continues, we need your help! We're aiming to raise a minimum of $25,000 to secure a spectacular fireworks display for our Independence Day celebration in 2025.
Here's where you come in! We're seeking pledges of support from at least 250 households willing to contribute a minimum of $100 each.
Important Note: Pledges will only be converted to actual donations once the minimum goal of $25,000 commitments is reached. There are no funds currently available to cover any potential shortfalls so please only pledge if you can commit making your indicated donation amount.
Why We Need Your Help
A magnificent fireworks display is a significant undertaking, requiring professional planning, licensing, and of course, the dazzling pyrotechnics themselves. Without the city's contribution, the financial responsibility falls entirely on our community.
How You Can Help
By committing to a $100 donation or more, you'll be directly contributing to a vibrant and unforgettable 4th of July celebration for our entire community. Imagine the joy on children's faces as they witness the dazzling display lighting up the night sky!
Let's work together to keep this tradition alive!
Here's what you can do:
- Spread the Word! Share this message with your friends, neighbors, and family. The more support we have, the brighter our celebration will be!
- Make Your Pledge Today! Simply email PLEDGE at anglelakesc@gmail.com to confirm your commitment.
- Stay Updated! We'll keep you informed on our progress towards reaching the $25,000 pledge goal.
Together, we can ensure that the spirit of Independence Day continues to shine brightly over the waters of Angle Lake in the City of SeaTac!
Original Post July 10
The City of Seatac notably featured a fireworks and drone show for the Fourth of July, sponsored by the Angle Lake Shore Club. The $32,000 fireworks show proved to be spectacular but the drone show, a first for the city, was a failure. After first not launching prior to the fireworks as promised, the show launched later around 10:36pm. Almost immediately the show had issues with some drones dropping out of the vertical box formation and then ultimately 55 of the 200 going into the water at Angle Lake.
The City on July 10 offered an explanation and answered questions following the show.
VIDEO: Fourth of July Drone show failure
Video by Kimberly Robinson WestsideSeattle.com
Q: What happened on the Fourth of July 2024?
A: The City of SeaTac’s 2024 Family Fourth of July celebration offered many successful festivities, including live entertainment, safe swimming supervised by a team of lifeguards, free kids’ activities, and more. Thousands of residents and visitors enjoyed the holiday at Angle Lake Park. The new drone show ran into a technical glitch which rendered 55 drones inoperable. The drone show was forced to end early. It was immediately followed by the fireworks extravaganza, sponsored this year by the Angle Lake Shore Club.
Q: Why did this happen?
A: The drone light show vendor, who has been professionally operating drone shows nationwide since 2016, is currently reviewing what caused the glitch. He and his team believe the cause was outside of the drone operator’s control. According to the vendor, Mathew Quinn from Great Lake Drone Company, “On July 4th, 2024, in SeaTac, WA, the drone light show performance experienced a sudden loss of GPS signal on several drones causing them to go into a failsafe landing mode. During this process the pilot took measures to stop the show and return the drones to their take off location. During this process several more drones continued to lose GPS signals causing them to not know where “home” was. At this time, the cause is unknown and under investigation by the flight team and authorities, as no internal system or drone causes have been found in the flight logs. More information will be released when we know more.”
Q: Were there any injuries?
A: There were no reported injuries. Small drones just floated directly down into the lake.
Q: What happened to the drones?
A: In total, the vendor lost 55 of 200 drones. Since they landed in the water, they are inoperable.
Q: Is it true that the reason why the City of SeaTac will no longer be doing fireworks on Fourth of July is because of a complaint/potential lawsuit by a resident?
A: No complaints or potential lawsuits have been sent to the City regarding the Fourth of July Fireworks show. The City of SeaTac has decided to transform our popular Fourth of July Fireworks Show from a low explosive pyrotechnic show utilizing live mortars to a leading-edge professional drone light show for multiple reasons.
Q: What are the reasons the City decided to make the change to the Fourth of July event?
A: The change in the fireworks show was inspired by a question from a resident about whether boat racing is allowed on the lake. The City began investigating this question and through due diligence determined the lake is non-navigable. *See Washington State Supreme Court Ruling below for more information about this designation.
Q: What are the reasons for switching from fireworks to drones?
A: There are many reasons for introducing drone light shows to holiday celebrations. In fact, it is a practice that many cities and countries around the world have recently implemented based on the following considerations:
- Air and noise pollution– Drones are reusable, and with fireworks, you have smoke and loud explosive noises which can stress out birds, animals and potentially trigger those suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder. For persons with asthma or multiple chemical sensitivity, the smoke from fireworks may aggravate existing health problems
- Toxic chemicals and plastics – Fireworks produce other fallout like debris. When fireworks explode in the air, heavy metals, sulfur-coal compounds, and some low concentration toxic chemicals such as plastics along with other particles are released and drift to the ground where they may never decompose. These particles contain residues of unburnt propellants, along with metal by-products from the colorants which can threaten wildlife if accidentally ingested.
- Potential danger to staff and community – A safety perimeter needs to be put in place to safely load a barge full of pyrotechnics, Previously, the fireworks were loaded at a property which was the home of a residential community. That property has been sold, so the loading of the barge of pyrotechnics would need to occur at the Angle Lake Park boat launch. This would require the shutting down of the shoreline and several hundred feet up from the shore for the entire day. Last year, the City tracked 8,000 people at the Fourth of July event. The safety permit would severely limit the number of people at the park and cut off access to the shore on our busiest day of the year.
- *Washington State Supreme Court Ruling – A question was raised by a resident about ownership of Angle Lake and uses on the lake. The Washington Supreme Court has determined that Angle Lake is a non-navigable body of water thus making the lake private property. That determination allows property owners around the lake, including the City, the right to boat, swim, and fish if it does not reasonably interfere with the similar rights of other owners around the lake. As a property owner around the lake, the City is required to look after the public’s general welfare which would include safety and the general public’s access to utilize the lake.
Q: Did the Angle Lake Shore Club get permission for the fireworks show?
A: Yes, they filed for a permit to host fireworks display at the east end of the lake at 10:10 p.m. on the July 4, 2024.
Q: Did the drone company file a permit for permission to conduct the drone show?
A: Yes, the Great Lakes Drone Company filed all the necessary permitting required and alerted the proper authorities about the show in advance, in accordance with the FAA drone rules and regulations.
Q: Did the City vet the drone company in advance and sign a contract?
A: Yes, the City of SeaTac signed a contract with Great Lakes Drone Company on June 5, 2024, after review of the company’s experience with prior shows nationwide.
Q: How many shows has this drone company done? How many years have they been in business?
A: According to Dronelife.com, Great Lakes Drone Company conducts 150 to 200 drone light shows annually across the country. The company website states that they have been in business since 2016, and that it is a well-known drone show company in the United States.
Q: Who pays for this financial loss? Will the City get a refund for the drone show?
A: At this time, we are communicating with the vendor to come to a mutually acceptable financial arrangement. The City will keep the public informed on progress and conclusion, after all investigations have been conducted.
Q: What are the next steps?
#1 – The City Parks and Recreation Department is connecting the drone vendor and volunteer rescue divers to schedule a time they can pull the lost drones from the lake as soon as possible. This group of drivers have volunteered on multiple occasions to successfully clean the bottom of Angle Lake.
#2 – The other next step for the City is to work with our drone vendor and see if they can determine the cause of the technical glitch.
Q: What are the plans now for the Fourth of July next year?
A: As with all large-scale City events, Parks and Recreation staff will meet to conduct a post-event analysis where they will discuss what went well and what can be improved for next year’s Fourth of July Celebration. It’s important to note the City has an entire year until the 2025 event. The Parks and Recreation staff will be diligent in their assessment to ensure they have the best plan in place for next year’s event.
