Drone-Mounted Lighting System Delivers Powerful 300,000-Lumen Output While Airborne

Freefly Systems, a drone technology company based in Washington, has unveiled the Flying Sun 1000—a drone-mounted lighting system designed to transform nighttime environments into daylight conditions. This innovative system utilizes 288 LEDs to emit an impressive 300,000 lumens of light, making it suitable for applications such as construction, emergency response, and film production. 

The Flying Sun 1000 is built on Freefly’s Alta X heavy-lift quadcopter and features four panels of 72 LEDs each, producing a 60-degree cone of light. At an altitude of 100 feet, it can illuminate approximately 14,000 square feet with 10 foot-candles of brightness. At 316 feet, it covers up to 137,000 square feet, albeit at a reduced brightness of 1 foot-candle. 

To manage the heat generated by the high-output LEDs, the system ingeniously uses the drone’s rotor downwash to cool the lights, ensuring optimal performance during extended operations. 

The Flying Sun 1000 can operate on its internal batteries for 5 to 10 minutes at full brightness. For prolonged use, it can be tethered to an external power source, such as a 5kW+ 240V generator or an electric vehicle, allowing for continuous operation. 

When flown at 100 feet, the drone produces only 56 decibels of noise, making it suitable for noise-sensitive environments like film sets or residential areas. 

The Flying Sun 1000 is available for pre-order at a price of $59,995, with shipments expected to begin in June 2025.