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Carroll University is a sponsor for Milwaukee's July 3 Drone Show.
Though there won’t be fireworks, Milwaukee’s skyline will still glow on July 3, thanks in part to the steady hands and sharp eyes of a Carroll University student with a growing passion for drones. Helping behind the scenes at “Milwaukee’s July 3 Drone Show,” Jack Johnson will be lending his skills to ensure the show goes off without a hitch — marking his third time assisting with such events.
Though his role may seem simple on paper, it carries a vital responsibility in partnership with Northern Lights Drone Shows. “I help set up the drones, make sure they’re operating correctly and keep an eye out for any issues,” Johnson explained.
The process begins by unpacking drones from their specially designed containers — “kind of like camping coolers” — and inserting batteries. A lead technician monitors each connection through a central computer. If a drone isn’t syncing properly, the team performs a lighthearted but effective maneuver called a “headache check,” which involves picking up the drone and spinning it to help recalibrate its internal compass.
While the setup usually goes smoothly, Johnson recalls a mishap at a previous drone show last September. “We spent hours troubleshooting why the drones weren’t connecting, only to realize they were on the wrong frequency,” he said. “By the time we fixed it, some batteries had drained, and a few drones ended up in the river. We lost about three or four.”
Despite the occasional challenge, Johnson is captivated by the potential of drone technology and how it intersects with creativity, safety and science. “Drone shows are a cleaner alternative to fireworks,” he noted. “They create actual shapes and animations in the sky with no pollution. I still love fireworks, but drones bring something new to the table.”
His interest in drones began with curiosity and a willingness to try something new. Carroll University’s Aviation Science and Drone Technologies program gives Johnson and other interested students proven and developing concepts while encouraging them to defy the status quo.
“This is such a dynamic, exciting and diverse industry that encourages critical thinking, creativity, research, development and interdisciplinary skills,” said Carroll instructor Justin Gale, Program Coordinator of the Aviation Science and Drone Technologies program. “Carroll draws upon industry demands and prepares students to become leaders through hands-on training, practical theory and real-world experience, and we are thankful Northern Light Drone Shows for offering our students this type of paid experience.”
As drones continue to become a part of everyday life in many fields, Carroll is ensuring the program offers students a broad understanding of drone operations, including law enforcement operations and surveillance, government and aviation regulations, data acquisition and visualization and counter-drone systems.
On top of his unique opportunity to play a part in the July 3 Drone Show in Milwaukee, numerous other offers were presented to Johnson in class and through email. He jumped at the chance to do more, leading to additional gigs — including flying and filming videos in Clearwater, Florida, for a collection of hotels owned by the company his father manages.
Using a DJI Mini 3 borrowed from Carroll, he captured interior and exterior footage for multiple properties, including The Chart House, Jimmy’s Fish House and Iguana Bar and the Duval Conference Center. He even conducted a roof inspection using only drone footage — all of which he edits into marketing videos for the properties' websites and social media. “It’s a huge opportunity, and it helps build my credibility, especially flying between states.”
Closer to home, he holds a summer internship with Siding Unlimited. He’s assigned multiple remodeled homes each day to film with the company’s DJI Air 2 drone, showcasing the final renovations. Again, he’s responsible for both flying and editing — a skill set he’s steadily growing with each project.
At Carroll, he’s been involved in various drone-related events, including an annual drone race at the Pettit National Ice Center and a spring workshop where local high school students learned to fly beginner-friendly DJI Mini 3 drones. “The younger racers at the Pettit are incredibly skilled. It takes years of practice to fly at that level,” he said.
Though he’s still exploring what his future career might look like, he’s drawn to possibilities that combine his love of drones and weather — including work with law enforcement, the military, or agencies like NASA or NOAA. “It would be amazing to operate drones that fly into hurricanes or withstand tornadic winds to collect atmospheric data,” he said. “That’s the kind of thing my younger self, who watched the Weather Channel every hour of the day, would be thrilled about.”
As the program coordinator, even Gale admits he is jealous. “I wish a program like this existed when I was an undergraduate! The combination of technical, creative and systems thinking is what makes this industry and Carroll’s Aviation Science and Drone Technologies program so dynamic.”
For now, Johnson is building his resume through every flight and film — whether it’s soaring over hotel rooftops, capturing a perfectly lit home renovation in Wisconsin or helping hundreds of drones light up the Milwaukee sky in perfect formation to celebrate Independence Day.
“Each show, each flight, each edit — it’s another step toward something bigger,” he said. “Drones are changing how we see and interact with the world. I’m just excited to be part of it.”