Attendees said the programme had promised a drone race, marathon finals, an remote controlled plane show, soccer finals and a night‑time drone display.
Hyderabad:A large number of people who attended a drone show at Gachibowli Stadium on Saturday said it was too short, too late and failed to meet their expectations.
Attendees said the programme had promised a drone race, marathon finals, an remote controlled plane show, soccer finals and a night‑time drone display. Apart from a few races and some drone formations, the schedule provided to participants did not match what took place on the ground, they said.
Some formations during the drone show included the Telangana Tourism slogan ‘Telangana Zaroor Aana’, Durgam Cheruvu cable bridge, Charminar, the state bird palapitta, Ramappa temple and Golconda fort. The lasted only about 10 minutes, prompting visitors to say organisers should have staged more races.
Several people, who had travelled long distances to the venue at Gachibowli, pointed out that the show ran behind schedule. The event opened with RC (remote‑control) plane performances, followed by LED planes and a kite drone. The main drone formations, however, began only at 7.45 pm; officials cited air‑control issues and other arrangements for the delay.
Some visitors who had travelled from distant places said their time was wasted and suggested that organisers should have considered accessibility when planning the event. They said LB Stadium in the centre of the city would have been a better venue because of its superior travel connectivity.
Venkat Bharadwaj, an attendee, said there should have been more illuminated races and that the drone formations ought to have been staged in the middle of the ground. “It lasted only 10 minutes and there were long gaps in the programme. Entertainment was missing,” he said.
Satish, another attendee, said the event had been heavily publicised as a spectacular sky show, but the reality on the ground left him disappointed. “We are disappointed by the delays and the brief formations. Still, children can learn about places and culture from the displays, so it was a different experience for them,” he added.
Ten‑year‑old Geeth Reddy of the Telangana State Drone Academy was the youngest participant in the competition. Reddy said he developed an interest in drones from watching YouTube videos.
