ABOUT US
DRONE SHOW COMPANY UK
Welcome to Afterglow Drone Shows, a unique drone light show company that is based in Cornwall and operates across the UK. We specialise in providing stunning drone light shows that offer a unique and sustainable alternative to fireworks at your event.
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Afterglow Drone Shows Ltd was founded by Tom Wadsworth and Joe Lawson - two people who make up the FPV drone filming pioneers, Bad Wolf Horizon. At a time when (we think) fireworks are starting to become a bit more controversial, with negative impacts on the environment and animals, Tom and Joe noticed a gap in the market for breathtaking, sustainable and low-impact alternatives to fireworks and Afterglow was born.
Our team is made up of skilled drone swarm pilots, show designers and qualified technicians, each one passionate about progressing the drone show industry. We are the first and only drone show company in the South West, offering a carbon-neutral and low-impact alternative to night time entertainment. Meet (some of) the team below
Tom Wadsworth - Company Director
Before Afterglow, Tom founded Bad Wolf Horizon 2018 - the year that he graduated with a degree in Product Design Engineering.
"Although I still find my degree useful today, I pretty quickly realised that film and photography is what I had always wanted to do with my life. During my final year at Loughborough Uni, I decided to jump in at the deep end, to build a drone-specialist brand, make a website (alongside my final year project) and hit the ground running once I graduated"
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Bad Wolf Horizon has now expanded to run parallel to Afterglow Drone Shows, utilising the strengths of both businesses to push forwards.
Safety and professionalism are top priorities for us, and we maintain all necessary licenses and certifications to operate legally and safely. We currently hold a drone swarm license, one of only a handful in the UK, with permission to fly up to 250 drones at once. We are committed to meeting the needs of our clients and exceeding their expectations and have a reputation for delivering exceptional service.
Joe Lawson - Company Director​
Tom and Joe have been working together for years, but joined Bad Wolf Horizon full-time in 2024. Now, the two run Afterglow together.
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"Along with being an FPV drone pilot at Bad Wolf Horizon, my roles at Afterglow include research & development, optimising business workflows by utilising software and tech. With a background in computer programming and data analysis, it's safe to say I'm a bit of a nerd, so 3D modelling, 3D printing and creating custom-built drones and software is the perfect job for me."​
Afterglow HQ.
As you may know by now, we like to do things differently. Not just in the work that we create, but also in the space in which we work. Renting a large space (especially with all of our gear) doesn't sound very sustainable for an ever-changing business, so we thought outside of the box... or rather, in the box? ​
Meet our new headquarters, two double-stacked 20ft shipping containers, designed by us, and the perfect space for an office, a drone building workshop, with just enough left over for kit storage downstairs. Why containers? No huge monthly overheads, more environmentally conscious, with lower ongoing electricity and water bills. Finally, these structures are both moveable and expandable, which caters to an industry that is continuously pivoting with the world around us. ugh left over for kit storage downstairs. Why containers? No huge monthly overheads, more environmentally conscious, with lower ongoing electricity and water bills. Finally, these structures are both moveable and expandable, which caters to an industry that is continuously pivoting with the world around us.
Why not come on round to visit and join us for a coffee?
Sustainability.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you will know that the world is starting to fall apart. At Afterglow, the never-ending battery charging and discharging, the 10's of thousands of miles driven per year, and the occasional out-of-country flight mean that we are much a part of the problem as everyone else.
To combat this, Afterglow is currently working on installing both solar and a wind turbine on our shipping container office. This, coupled with a large home battery inside, will allow us to charge all of our show drones and day-to-day energy needs from the Cornish weather. This is a work in progress, but we hope to add our real-time energy generation statistics to the website soon.
Prevent deforestation
In order to help with this, we provide a monthly donation to Cool Earth. A rainforest deforestation prevention charity based in Penryn, Cornwall. ​
Plant trees & offset carbon
Ecologi is a platform which allows us to calculate our business' carbon creation, enabling us to offset this amount each month. Take a look at the link below to learn more about the number of trees we've planted, where they've been planted and how sign up for yourself.
Of course, we have our problems and we are not nearly where we want to be in terms of plastic creation and the purchase of goods from abroad. Generally, new drones are packaged in large quantities of plastic and with a high number of air miles too. This is an ongoing concern and we want to continue to be better, as our business progresses.
qualifications
Earning our Place
We are serious about safety.
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Afterglow has one of the handful of drone swarm licenses in the UK and can fly up to 250 drones at one time.
Full training is required to teach pilots how to mitigate risk and ensure the safety of people on the ground and, in the sky.
We are fully qualified to fly commercially and have a full Operational Authorisation from the CAA.
We have liability insurance of £5 million (increased on request).
CAA
We have our Drone Swarm License (250 drones) from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Insurance
We have public liability insurance of £5 million with a fully certified, UAS specialist insurer.