Action Line – The Durango Herald

A complex answer for a simple question about metal artwork

Dear Action Line: Is there a proper orientation to view the metal artwork on the new Holiday Inn on Camino del Rio? Driving by, it looks like some very large and messy animal had a very ...

DATE: Aug 8, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Action Line takes a peek at peaks and parks

Dear Action Line: What becomes of the scrolls that you sign at the top of 14ers? Say, for instance, that I climbed Longs Peak in 1993 or Handies Peak in 1996. (I think it’s true, give or...

DATE: Aug 1, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Hurrah for peace-bringing construction zone

Dear Action Line: Is it possible to designate a road as being a permanent construction zone? Since utility work began several weeks ago on Junction Street the traffic has never been calm...

DATE: Jul 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

RVers take note: Twin Buttes a ‘little loud’ with highway traffic

Dear Action Line: I’m wondering if the Twin Buttes trail parking lot is the new RV homeless camp? There seem to be more and more RVs camping here. The sign on the north wall says “No cam...

DATE: Jul 18, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

No left-hand turn allowed? Show us a (new) sign!

Dear Action Line: When, if ever, will the no-left-turn sign at north City Market be replaced or repainted, so traffic pulling out of the store parking lot on to Main Avenue does not try ...

DATE: Jul 11, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Uncovering La Plata County’s election non-conspiracy

Dear Action Line: Question about voting: I recently changed my affiliation while the spouse retained his already unaffiliated status. I inadvertently checked a box where I only get the R...

DATE: Jul 4, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

The crazy tale of how ‘Action Line Ridge’ came to be

Dear Action Line: I rode up to the Animas Overlook on Junction Creek Road the other day. An interpretive sign there shows “Reservoir Ridge.” What the heck? Did the name get changed? I’m ...

DATE: Jun 27, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Good for the city, or unnecessary bumps along the road?

Dear Action Line: I understand the need for bump-outs for restaurants during COVID. But, why do Durango Rug Co., Outdoorsy and Maria’s Bookshop take up parking places? To make up for rev...

DATE: Jun 20, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Jumps, thrills, spills coming to north Main?

Dear Action Line: When are they going to open up the jumps on north Main? How clever to design this so a driver can hit the takeoff whether driving north or south. Go for max speed to cl...

DATE: Jun 13, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Good golly: Dogs gone south, doggone it

Dear Action Line: A recent news item from a neighboring city notes that the Durango Kennel Club is hosting its annual dog show in Farmington. Why not hold the event in the namesake homet...

DATE: Jun 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Someday, nowhere bridges and trails will go somewhere

Dear Action Line: A Three Springs question: What is the plan to connect the bike and walking path to the rest of the miles of paths through Durango? Currently it ends under the Bridges t...

DATE: May 30, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Eye in the sky, on the ground, in a tree ...

Dear Action Line: What’s up with this game camera on Hermosa Creek trail? The camera is located approximately 1.5 miles from the campground and is positioned facing the trail to capture ...

DATE: May 23, 2022 | CATEGORY: Action Line

Patriotic drone show unfolds above Durango’s night skyAbout 1,200 people watched production from city Transit Center

One hundred forty drones took to the skies above Greenmount Cemetery at 10 p.m. sharp Saturday in a glowing and patriotic spectacle featuring vibrant images colored red, white and blue against the black backdrop of night.About 1,200 people gathered Saturday at the Durango Transit Center to watch the city’s premiere drone show produced by Verge Aero after a street dance and band performance by McCurry Trio and Desert Child for Independence Day celebrations.Spectators were treated to drone depictions of the American flag, star patterns, a soaring bald eagle and a homage to the city with drones flying in formation to spell out “Durango” to close out the street dance that started at 6 p.m. Across the valley from Greenmount Cemetery, the headlights of cars shined from Rim Drive near Fort Lewis College where more spectators watched.

Ellen Babers, Durango community events administrator, said the show went well. She heard “Ooh’s” and “ah’s” from the crowd when the drones transitioned from one image to another.She said a segment that consisted of stars rotating at various intervals, shrinking into smaller stars before expanding into the shape of a larger star, appeared to be a crowd favorite.“People really liked the Durango part,” she said. “When it spelled out Durango, people seemed surprised. Like, ‘Oh, this isn’t just a generic show, this is about us.’”Other images included an outline of the continental United States, the letters “USA,” and a spinning globe shape that gave the drone show a 3D feel.

The drones were laid out earlier in the evening in a square grid, with each drone placed 4 feet apart. Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer of the drone show, worked with a crew of about six people, including volunteers. Saturday evening at Greenmount Cemetery where the drones launched and landed, Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer with Verge Aero, and his crew of about six people, including volunteers, had laid all the drones out on the grass in a square grid. Each drone was placed four feet apart. Smiatek synced the drones to a GPS and radio tower in preparation for the evening’s show. Six minutes before takeoff, a deer wandered straight past the drone grid, narrowly avoiding stepping on them.“That could have been a disaster,” Smiatek said as his crew scanned the nearby area with flashlights. No other deer were visible.Two minutes before takeoff, the crew’s portable generator shut off – out of gas.

“We have double secure power,” he said. “The generator fell off two minutes before the show started. It’s like Murphy’s law, anything that could happen will happen. So it’s best to be prepared.”During prep, the crew ran several tests with the drones. The drones shot up 3 to 4 meters, hovered for about one second and then dropped back to their designated grid space on the grass.

Smiatek worked from a makeshift command station where his laptop and transmission tower were perched.“The base station is the heart of the show,” he said. “It’s a computer and it’s a distribution system connected to radios and an antenna. And that’s it, basically. Very flexible and a good system.”Chris Lutts, vice president of sales at Verge Aero, said he thinks Durangoans enjoyed the performance. From Greenmount Cemetery, he could hear the cheers and whistles of the audience at the Durango Transit Center.“The people we’ve been working with have been great,” he said. “Clearly, the city enjoyed it, so that’s awesome. That’s why we do this. It’s no different than any other entertainment, man. You love that feedback. It’s validation that what you’re doing is something that people really like.”cburney@durangoherald.com