K&L Gates Files Application With FAA on Behalf of Pyro Spectaculars by Souza to Allow Pyrotechnics on Drones

UPDATE: The application was approved by the FAA on 16 August, making it the first FAA authorization for a pyrotechnics company to shoot fireworks from drones.

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP is representing pyrotechnics company Pyro Spectaculars by Souza in its efforts to obtain one of the only US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorizations that would allow it to conduct drone light shows with pyrotechnics. The company is also requesting a waiver to operate multiple small drones and to operate at night. Once the FAA grants these authorizations, Pyro Spectaculars by Souza will be able to expand its offerings and further showcase its leadership in cutting edge aerial entertainment in front of large audiences during major holidays and events around the world.

The required early and continued engagement with the FAA is led by K&L Gates government affairs advisor and former US Department of Transportation official Finch Fulton. Partners Thomas DeCesar and Maureen O’Dea Brill are advising on the regulatory requirements needed to obtain these important authorizations from the FAA.

Fulton remarked: “The ability of the team to meld the complex legal aspects of this application with the novel and policy issues that are presented gave us a particularly valuable ability to assist Pyro Spectaculars in this effort, especially at this time of year where everyone’s focus is on the July 4th holiday, which centers on fireworks.”

“As always, it was a pleasure working with the K&L Gates professional and experienced team in preparing and submitting this complicated and detailed waiver to the FAA, which included hundreds of pages of detailed information,” said James Souza, president and CEO of Pyro Spectaculars.

For more than 15 years, K&L Gates, through partner Barry Hartman, has served as counsel to the American Pyrotechnics Association, the leading pyrotechnics industry trade association in the nation, as well as many individual members of the Association, on matters including environmental, occupational safety and health, to intellectual property, hazardous materials and explosives regulation, and tax. The firm uses a cross-disciplinary approach and global reach to provide experienced legal counsel at the intersection of globalization, regulation, and innovation.