Operation Lollipop Drop
Date: August 16, 2024
MEDIA RELEASE
Dum-Dums Distributed by Drone
PORT CLINTON, OHIO – One hundred years ago when Dum-Dums lollipops were first created, the primary method of distribution to customers was horse-drawn delivery wagons. This past weekend, this iconic candy brand was delivered by a drone.
A drone demonstration took place on Friday, Aug. 16, departing the Catawba Island State Park a little after 1:00 pm. A chase boat, captained by Nikolai Blumensaadt, followed the drone across Lake Erie landing at the South Bass Island Lighthouse. From departure to the landing, the demonstration took 17 minutes and 17 seconds to complete.
The inaugural flight was a key element of a drone certification program at the Liberty Aviation Museum, attended by high school students and taught by Pramod Abichandani, founder of LocoRobo. The three-day drone certification program was a partnership between the Erie-Ottawa International Airport, the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation and LocoRobo.
The teachings included how the four forces – thrust, drag, weight and lift – act on drones, how to pilot certain types of drones, safety regulations including when and where to fly, and what information must be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Much like private pilot training, students also studied aeronautical decision making, such as ‘Should I be piloting? Have I had enough sleep?’ and ‘Am I thinking straight?’
The curriculum was developed by LocoRobo based on FAA regulations. Abichandani formulated the curriculum to teach the content and to gain knowledge and mastery for a future career as a certified drone pilot. Abichandani was assisted by graduate student, Craig Iaboni. Five high school students from Port Clinton, Put-in-Bay, Perkins, Sandusky and Danbury schools participated.
One of those students, Rose Fanning, has been around aviation her whole life and jumped at the opportunity to participate in the drone certification program.
“I’ve learned so much valuable information and some of it wasn’t even about drones. Pramod told me on day one that we’ve already beaten 90% of the competition just by showing up,” Fanning said.
Fanning wanted to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather, who was a pilot. After this experience, she has a love for flying both planes and drones.
“My passion was just planes. Now I want to get a drone and start a business as a side gig,” Fanning said. “I am extremely honored for every person who has mentored me through this process. I’ve met some amazing people, such as the CEO of the company that makes Dum-Dum lollipops.”
The drone certification program, which ran August 14-16, prepared the students to take the FAA exam, available at the Bowling Green Flight Center. The program will help pay the testing fee.
As part of the drone pilot program, in an event dubbed “Operation Lollipop Drop,” a group of local, state, and business leaders, as well as the students, gathered at the Catawba Island State Park to observe the first Ohio-based launch of a fully-autonomous cargo delivery via drone to South Bass Island in Lake Erie. The product was a package of Dum-Dum lollipops donated by the Spangler Candy Company.
“Dum-Dums is celebrating its 100th birthday this year and is now known as the treat you can find pretty much everywhere,” said Kirk Vashaw, Chairman and CEO of Spangler Candy Company, manufacturer of Dum-Dums. “The 12 million Dum-Dums we produce daily make their way into banks, beauty salons, car washes, restaurants, parades, kitchen counters, and everywhere people can use a smile to brighten their day. Now using drone technology, we can spread more smiles to even more places.”
Between 1924 and 1953, horse-drawn wagons gave way to motorized trucks as the transportation of choice for candy deliveries, and by the time Spangler Candy Company bought the Dum-Dums brand from the Akron Candy Company in 1953, deliveries were happening in semi-trailers in order to meet the increasing demand from consumers all over the country.
“It’s really neat to be a part of this, to help celebrate 100 years of Dum-Dums and this new technology that’s going to change the world,” stated Bill Martin, President of Spangler Candy Company. “We jumped at the opportunity. I mean, they could’ve picked anything to take across on this inaugural flight. We feel very privileged they chose us.”
“Any drone delivery is exciting, but you should have seen the smiles of the people as that package of Dum-Dums launched,” said Carrie Schlade, Mayor of Bryan, Ohio, where Dum-Dums are made. “There is great potential for drone deliveries to have a positive impact on the economy, and I can’t think of any better product with which to test it.”
The idea of transporting Dum-Dums from Port Clinton to Put-in-Bay came from Lu Cooke, Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted office, as Dum-Dums is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
“They were trying to think of something that could be delivered to the island, and with Dum-Dums 100th birthday, she thought of this,” Martin said.
Ottawa County is keeping workforce at the foundation of this technology. Eventually, there will be a need for people to build and fly commercial drones.
“As the State of Ohio works diligently to integrate this emerging technology into our daily lives, it will be important for community stakeholders to not only identify their needs and assets but collaborate regionally early in the planning process,” said Chris Singerling, Executive Director, Ottawa County Improvement Corporation.
“We’re realizing the great potential of this technology, and those partnerships are essential to communicating with the community and the businesses about the benefits of this technology and why we’re bringing it here,” stated Clay Finken, Director of the Erie-Ottawa International Airport. “It’s happening across the country and we don’t want Port Clinton to miss out on the benefits, so we are strongly fostering a grass-roots effort. It’s been a really cool experience this week and we can’t wait to build on this. This is the first of many steps.”
About Spangler Candy Company
Spangler is a family owned and operated candy company founded in 1906 and headquartered in Bryan, Ohio. Its iconic brands, which include Dum-Dums®, Sweethearts®, Necco® Wafers and Bit-O-Honey®, make millions of smiles among generations of candy lovers. Spangler is one of the largest lollipop producers in the world, and the only major candy cane manufacturer in the United States.